Is Anthony Davis next after the blockbuster Hawks-Wizards Trae Young trade?

As the Hawks played the Pelicans on Wednesday, Trae Young, dressed in street clothes, began dabbing his teammates and assistant coaches.

He had just found out he had been traded to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, which meant the world could see his reaction in real time. It’s a strange phenomenon that sometimes occurs during trade season, when news lands with a camera attached to the subject’s face, or as I like to call it, a solar eclipse for NBA fans.

Fortunately for Young and the local TV broadcast, the point guard was completely on board with the move, which marked the first domino of the 2026 trade season. (Imagine if cameras had captured the reactions of Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis last February when the most shocking trade in sports history landed. Let’s guess that moment wouldn’t have been TV-friendly. But more on Davis later.)

For Young and the Hawks, the separation was inevitable, with all parties realizing it was time to move on.

Young has been the centerpiece of the Hawks’ organization for the past seven years. When Young led the Hawks to two wins before the Finals in 2021, trading him for McCollum and Kispert would have seemed unthinkable.

But a lot has happened since then, including the problems for both sides when they couldn’t agree on a contract extension last summer. Meanwhile, the Hawks have failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs the past four years (including missing the postseason entirely the past two seasons).

As for this season, the Hawks went 2-8 in the 10 games Young played in. (Young suffered a right MCL sprain in October and he missed the Hawks’ last six games due to a right quad contusion.)

Young chose Washington as his preferred trade destination and the Wizards would have been remiss not to gamble on the 27-year-old, four-time All-Star, who could have a lot of upside in addition to their young talent during the rebuild.

Meanwhile, for the Hawks, jettisoning Young (who has $95 million remaining on his contract through the 2026-2027 season) means they no longer have to be pressured by his $49 million player option this season — and they now have a lot of financial flexibility.

So the Wizards have a guy with star power. As for the Hawks? Between McCollum’s veteran leadership and Kispert’s catch-and-shoot skills, they now have a chance to make a big splash.

And it’s no secret that Davis is their number one target.

The Mavericks are exploring trade options for Davis, nearly a year after the shock deal that sent Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for the big man.

The Mavericks want to build around their No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. Davis wants a contract extension, ideally a four-year, $275 million deal, whether it’s with the Mavericks — or elsewhere.

Dallas has thus far declined to accept an extension after Davis suffered a series of recent injuries, including a left adductor strain in his debut with the Mavericks last season on Feb. 8, as well as groin and calf injuries this season.

As the trade deadline approaches, Atlanta, Toronto and Golden State have all emerged as potential destinations for Davis. But Golden State seems unlikely to make the blockbuster move, as they are against trading Jimmy Butler ($54.1 million) and Draymond Green ($25.8 million) — and Steph Curry ($59.6 million) is completely off the table.

So watch out for the Hawks in the coming month, who entered this season with high expectations in the wide-open Eastern Conference but have slid to an 18-21 record.

The first domino has fallen – and this could soon lead to a cascade.