Hoops Tonight - Anthony Davis TRADE to Wizards from Mavs + Jared McCain to OKC, Coby White to Hornets | NBA Reaction

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd / Hoops Tonight<br> Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Jason Timpf (The Volume)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the most recent and surprising NBA trade deadline moves, with major focus on Anthony Davis’s trade to the Washington Wizards, alongside reactions to the Jared McCain move to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Coby White’s shift to the Charlotte Hornets. Jason Timpf assesses the basketball implications, trade rationale, and long-term impacts for each franchise involved, making sense of a "weirdest trade deadline" in recent history.

Key Trade Discussions & Analysis

1. Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards

Segment starts: 02:18

Trade Details

• Wizards receive: Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum
• Mavs receive: Chris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks, 3 second-round picks

Analyst’s Take & Insights

• Jason Timpf immediately flags this as a head-scratcher:

  "Kind of a bizarre move for Washington… I liked the Trey Young move because it didn't cost them anything. ... This [AD] move is more damaging in the sense that they're sending out so much draft compensation." (03:15)

• On the Wiz's young core:

  "I have a lot of excitement for some of these guys in Washington. ... The AD move just makes it a little bit tougher down the line if you want to be flexible as you're building around the team." (05:13)

Roster Fit & Strategic Questions

• Positives: Potentially dominant duo of Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr on defense.
• Potential issues:
  • Loss of 2 firsts and 3 seconds reduces future team-building flexibility.
  • Wizards still have some picks left ("eight first-round picks over the coming year"), but what if multiple moves are needed for contention?
• Cautions against "spending for the sake of spending," calling the franchise’s strategy into question.

Notable Quotes

• “As a basketball fan, you bet your ass I’m excited to watch Anthony Davis and Alex Sar play defense together. ... [but] I’m not sitting here thinking that Trey Young and Anthony Davis are about to go dominate the Eastern Conference.” (06:15)
• “If Anthony Davis comes in and pulls his groin muscle again, you’re in the exact same spot that you were in before the Anthony Davis trade—which is not good enough to win the title and destined for a rebuild, right?” (14:36)

Defensive & Offensive Potential

• On AD & Alex Sarr together:

  "Having a kind of a dual rim protector look is something that can be devastating... Anthony Davis and Alex Sar together is going to be an extremely strong defensive foundation." (08:15)

• On Trey Young and Anthony Davis fit:

  “There’s a ton of utility there. Trey Young is a brilliant passer…The Trey Young-Anthony Davis two man game when teams are running traditional coverages is going to result in a lot of lobs, a lot of great kick out passes...” (10:36)

Injury & Age Concerns

• Anthony Davis is turning 33; history of breakdowns cited:

  “He has consistently had issues with his body that it looked like he was starting to conquer... And then 2025 comes around, he breaks down again. 2026 comes around, he breaks down again.” (12:10)

Dallas Mavericks Perspective

• Mavs reset with a “haul” of assets:

  “If you're turning Anthony Davis into two additional first round picks ... under the circumstances ... getting two first round picks for him is an absolute haul. So good for the Mavs.” (16:03)

• New building blocks: "You have an opportunity now with a ton of assets to build around Cooper Flagg..." (16:30)

2. Other Major Trades

a. Jared McCain to Oklahoma City Thunder

Segment starts: 22:30

• OKC receives: Jared McCain
• Philadelphia receives: 1st-round pick via Houston, 3 second-round picks

Host Analysis

• McCain fills a shooting need as “another knockdown guy for a team that really only has one in Isaiah Joe.” (23:17)
• Stats highlight:

  “Jared McCain over his last 31 games ... is shooting 40% on all threes. He is 44% this season on unguarded catch and shoot threes.” (23:08)

• “This just gives you another guy who can do that and especially in the short term ... we got the report that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has an abdominal strain and he's going to be out till at least the end of the All-Star break.” (23:59)
• Sixers’ angle: “Get a haul of draft picks and you clear out your rotation a little bit.”

b. Coby White to Charlotte Hornets

Segment starts: 25:30

• Hornets receive: Coby White, Mike Conley Jr.
• Bulls receive: Collin Sexton, Usman Dieng, 3 second-round picks

Analyst Perspective

• For Bulls: “Three second round picks is a nice little return for a player that you were going to let walk for nothing.” (26:07)
• For Hornets:

  “On the one hand in the short term it's all-in on offense for just a pretty well-rounded scoring guard ... Deadly off the catch 40% overall and catch and shoot threes, 47% on unguarded catch and shoot threes.” (26:40)

  • Uncertainty about future payroll: “You’re already paying LaMelo Ballish a ton of money… you got to figure out how to pay everybody.” (28:20)
  • Raises possibility of LaMelo eventually being traded if roster overcrowds.

c. Chris Paul Salary Dump (Toronto Raptors ↔ Brooklyn Nets)

Segment starts: 30:10

• Raptors receive: Chris Paul (to be potentially bought out or moved), send Oshae Agbaji + second-round pick to Nets
• Nets receive: Oshae Agbaji and a pick

Host’s View

• “For the Raptors, all this is is a second round pick going to the Nets and some cash to get off of Oshae Agbaji's contract. ... Chris Paul is not going to the Raptors at all.”
• Notes Agbaji’s 3&D upside despite rough season ("good like high reward, low risk type of option").
• Wonders if Nets will “flip” Agbaji before the deadline or keep him as an affordable athletic wing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On D.C.'s blockbuster:

  “It kind of feels like spending for the sake of spending and building a mediocre Eastern Conference team at a pretty high cost with no real kind of like benefit in the long run to your team. So I was just, I was just a little confused by that one.” (13:20)

• On OKC’s incremental move:

  “Jared McCain brings to the table ... additional movement shooting. ... This just gives you another guy who can do that and especially in the short term because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has an abdominal strain.” (23:17)

• On Hornets' direction:

  “Where I get like a little confused as to where this is all going is just like how everyone’s going to get paid. ... I wonder if the idea is you re-sign Coby White ... and if they eventually look to move LaMelo Ball or not.” (28:22)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Trade | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:18 | Anthony Davis to Wizards: Analysis begins | | 06:15 | Defensive/offensive fit: Davis, Young, Sarr | | 10:36 | Two-man game dynamics: Young-Davis | | 12:10 | Davis’s age, injury issues | | 16:03 | Mavericks' perspective, Cooper Flagg future | | 22:30 | Jared McCain to Thunder: Fit and rationale | | 25:30 | Coby White to Hornets: Analysis of both teams | | 30:10 | Chris Paul salary dump: Raptors/Nets, upside of Agbaji | | 13:20 | Notable quote: Wizards “spending for the sake of spending”| | 23:17 | Notable quote: McCain's value to OKC | | 28:22 | Notable quote: Hornets’ payroll questions |

Summary & Takeaways

• The 2026 NBA trade deadline stands out for the volume and oddness of its moves, with Jason Timpf repeatedly noting its “weirdness.”
• The Wizards trade for Anthony Davis is intriguing from a basketball perspective (defensive upside), but loaded with future risk and questionable long-term logic.
• The Mavericks replenish their war chest in pick assets and take a patient route post-Luka era, anchored by Cooper Flagg’s rising stardom.
• Thunder’s addition of Jared McCain adds much-needed shooting, especially with SGA sidelined, at a mid-level asset cost.
• Hornets take a flyer on Coby White to bolster their scoring, possibly reshaping their long-term plans regarding LaMelo Ball.
• The Raptors-Nets salary dump is typical deadline machinery, but could yield a sneaky 3&D option for the Nets.

“As a basketball fan, you bet your ass I want to see it. ... But I don’t feel like they’re a legitimate championship contender. Not unless some of these young guys start really popping in a big way—and fast.” — Jason Timpf (12:20)

End of Summary.