The Washington Wizards have all eyes on them as the NBA trade deadline nears the final buzzer and for good reason.
Washington has arguably been the talk of the deadline outside of the saga for teams making their pursh to acquirie Giannis Antetokounmpo over the last several weeks.
Nonetheless, with the Wizards addition of Trae Young to open trade season and the recent blockbuster acquisition of future Hall of Famer Anthomy Davis, general manager Will Dawkins' and President of Monumental Basketball have made their desire to comepete in the East sooner rather than later crystal clear.
The move to land Young from the Atlanata Hawks seemed like a no-brainer between the glaring hole in the backcourt and the simple fact that the playmaker listed Washington as his preferred destination.
Not to mention the extremely discounted price the Wizards paid with the expiring contract of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Nonetheless, the acquisition of Davis seemingly came out of the blue and with his injury history at 32, many wondered why Washington would take this swing, especially while trading three first-round picks in the process.
However, based on recent reports, if Davis wasn't landed, Washington would have pivoted elsewhere and it all has to do with the vision the Wizards have for rising star Alex Sarr.
Wizards called on KAT, Sabonis
Prior to landing Davis, the Wizards called and offered a package surrounding Khris Middleton's expiring contract in efforts to land a star-caliber big man to pair alongside Sarr in the frontcourt.
Sacramento Kings big man Domontas Sabonis is one target that Washington reportedly called on, though the team's interest has been reported weeks prior to the deadline.
Another name? Karl-Anthony Towns from the New York Knicks, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
The New York Knicks had talks with the Washington Wizards regarding Karl-Anthony Towns in a similar fashion to what came into fruition regarding the Anthony Davis package that came today, per @JakeLFischer. pic.twitter.com/jr2zo30NJh
— KnicksFeed & the Big Steppers (@knickzfeed) February 4, 2026
Towns being listed as a player Washington called on comes as a bit of a surprise, but after Fischer revealed that the Wizards view Sarr as a power forward, it all made sense.
Considering his unique skillset, Sarr has every tool to be a nightmare at the 4, especially if he can continue developing his offensive game.
With Davis alongside him in the frontcourt, the defensive potential that the two big men possess alongside one another could prove to be a nightmare for opposing teams.
Not to mention the roles that both Davis and Young could play in the development of Sarr and the rest of the team's young core.