Mavericks' Anthony Davis blockbuster trade isn't done paying off

The Dallas Mavericks have benefited from the Anthony Davis trade due to the positive play from Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley III, but the positives from this trade stretch far beyond that. Dallas acquired a handful of draft picks as part of this trade, and several of them could end up being pivotal for them extremely soon.

The Mavericks need as much draft capital to build around Cooper Flagg as possible, and thanks to the Washington Wizards taking a chance on Davis, they had the chance to retool their future assets.

Mavericks should be excited about the draft haul from Davis trade

Dallas' five draft picks from the Anthony Davis trade are listed below.

Of course, the most promising of these picks is this year's first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder. This selection is poised to land at the end of the round, likely the No. 29 or 30 pick, but fans should be excited about the talent that could still be on the board at this point.

The 2026 draft class is projected to be one of the best in recent memory, and Dallas could walk away with two difference makers in the first round if things go their way. Someone like Isaiah Evans out of Duke at the end of the first round would give the Mavericks exactly what they need, and the chance to add two first-round talents just one year after drafting Cooper Flagg can't go overlooked.

But their picks for the 2026 NBA Draft don't stop there.

Phoenix's pick could complete a home-run draft for Dallas

Dallas owns a third pick in this draft, as they landed the Phoenix Suns' second-round pick in the Davis deal.

Second-round picks are typically overlooked, especially with how players force their way to certain teams, but the Suns' pick is different.

Phoenix has gone through adversity recently, as both Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams are injured, and Brooks got arrested. This should cause them to sink some in the standings, and every Suns loss will help the positioning of this pick move in the Mavericks' favor.

This pick would be the No. 50 overall pick if the draft were tomorrow, but wins for teams in Phoenix's vicinity and losses for the Suns could cause it to move somewhere in the 40s.

Mavericks needed these picks — badly

Along with the two picks in this summer's draft, Dallas also has one future first-round pick and two second-round picks to work with.

This is far more draft capital than anyone expected when the Anthony Davis trade rumors first began, and the Mavericks have some options to work with over the next few seasons. Dallas doesn't fully control any of their own first-round picks after this season until 2031, and some of these picks could quietly help kick off the Cooper Flagg era on the right foot.

Chicago's second-round pick next season could prove to be valuable, especially if they struggle again, and the Mavericks did a great job of creating future flexibility and adding draft assets when they traded Davis last month. The aggregate of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap will always look like a disaster, but Dallas hitting on one of these picks from Washington could help them in this department.