How the Knicks’ breakout showed the Wizards’ need for Anthony Davis

Sophomore big man Alex Sarr has established himself as the foundation for the Washington Wizardsbut he had a forgettable night in their 132-101 home loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Luckily for the 20-year-old, The Wizards acquired 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis (finger) from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, who will provide help in the frontcourt.

Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns bested Sara, scoring 19 points (7-16 FG, 1-4 3-point) with 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes. Meanwhile, Sarr recorded 11 points (4-11 FG, 1-3 3-point), nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in 25 minutes.

The 248-pound Towns dominated the 205-pound Sara all night, an effort highlighted by and-one dunk over him in the second quarter.

FLOOR WITH I-ONE HELMET pic.twitter.com/AAMUiJUiN7

— Knicks Videos (@sni_knicks) February 4, 2026

Fighting against stronger big men is nothing new for Sarah. For example, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick was dominated by a 258-pounder Rudy Gobert in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 141-115 win over the Wizards January 4. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year had 18 points (8-10 FG), 14 rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes, while Sarr had seven points (3-10 FG, 1-2 3-point), three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 26 minutes. Gobert ClutchPoints said after the game that Sar has “all the talents and skills” but should “continue to work on (his) body, to be stronger and stronger”.

On the bright side, it is typical of young teams that are rebuilding to fight, New York head coach Mike Brown said after Tuesday’s game.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown was candid in his postgame presser’s opening statement, saying “Obviously, Washington is a young team, and the direction they’re going is what most young teams are doing at this point in the year.

The Knicks beat the Wizards 132-101 tonight. pic.tvitter.com/TkEmTmKTuO

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) February 4, 2026

One of the many reasons Washington is tied for the NBA’s fourth-worst record at 13-36 heading into Thursday’s road trip to the Detroit Pistons is that it lacked a true center to contend with Towns and Gobert. Sarr is a natural forward who played center for the Wizards due to a lack of depth at the position.

Of course, it was planned. Washington intentionally entered the season without a true point guard or center in order to lose as many games as possible, which will maximize his odds in the 2026 NBA draft lottery. His lottery pick this summer is also protected in the top eight, meaning he must finish no higher than fourth-worst in the regular season standings to guarantee retention.

The Knicks currently own the pick, but will trade up to two second-rounders when the Wizards inevitably finish with the lowest record. Washington will then have a top-8 pick in a draft class led by potential superstars Darrin Peterson (Kansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke) and AJ Dibantsa (BIU).

Acquired star point guard Trae Young (quad, knee) from the Atlanta Hawks In January, she gave him a head start for the next season, when he wants to be competitive. The same goes for the 253-pound Davis, a five-time All-Defensive honoree and one of the strongest players in basketball. The latter player can guard the Towns and Goberts of the world, while Sarr will be the power forward next year.

Both Young and Davis likely won’t play more than a handful of games this season in order for the Wizards to keep their pick, but both are All-NBA talents at positions of need for the team in the past.

The Wizards tried to get Karl-Anthony Towns before Anthony Davis

Davis wasn’t the only big man Washington had its eye on ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reported Wednesday that front office reached out to New York about acquiring Towns with the same frame that later landed Davis. The Knicks declined, just as the Sacramento Kings did when the Wizards offered Khris Middleton and choose for the center Domantas Sabonis, via ESPN’s Mark Spears.

Based on what Washington gave up to get Davis, it makes sense why both the Knicks and Kings stuck with their big men. It sent Dallas two first-round picks, three seconds, three expiring contracts, including Middleton, and second-year running back AJ Johnson. But the top two are the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 pick, likely No. 30 overall, and the Golden State Warriors’ protected top-20 pick in 2030.

While none of those are premium assets, the value for the Mavericks was getting Davis’ contract off their books, which puts them under the luxury tax line both this season and next. The 32-year-old has a cap hit of $54.1 million this year and $58.4 million next year, before a $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign.

That’s a steep price for a player who has played 65-plus regular-season games just once since being traded by the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. However, Davis will help elevate the Wizards to a competitive team when he plays next season, and that’s worth the risk for a franchise that went 12-07.