P.J. Washington isn’t spending training camp worrying about whether his name is in the starting five. He’s thinking about something much bigger: getting the Dallas Mavericks back where he believes they belong.
That was the clear message when Washington was asked about the lineup after a recent practice. He didn’t bite on the starter-versus-bench question. He steered everything back to the same place.
"For me, my biggest thing is winning," Washington said. "Whether I'm starting or not, I just want to win.
I've been on so many losing teams. I've been to the playoffs one time in my career.
So, for me, I just want to turn that around and get to the playoffs and just win. I think that's my biggest thing."
That mindset matters for Dallas. The Mavericks have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons after reaching the NBA Finals in Washington’s first year with the team, and they need players in the room who are focused on the right things.
Washington fits that bill. He has gone from being one of the younger pieces when Dallas acquired him in 2024 to one of the veterans the team can lean on now, and that kind of voice carries weight in a locker room trying to build itself back up.
The losing has piled up lately, and the number that stands out is 26 wins during Cooper Flagg’s rookie season. That’s the sort of year Dallas wants to leave behind. Washington’s attitude is part of the answer, because belief inside the room matters, especially for a young team trying to reset its standards.
Washington has already shown he can rise to the moment when the games matter most. He’s missed the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons, but the 2024 run gave him a real taste of what winning feels like. In that postseason, he was a steady force for Dallas as a starting power forward, bringing defense, 3-point shooting, energy, and versatility to the floor.
His numbers backed it up. Washington averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in the 2024 playoffs.
And when Dallas met Oklahoma City, he took things up another level, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 46.9 percent from deep. That stretch helped turn him into a Mavericks cult hero, along with his viral "Standing on Business" moment against the LA Clippers - a line he even tattooed on his leg this offseason.
Now Washington is focused on carrying that same edge into what comes next. The 2026-27 season will be the first year of the four-year extension he signed with Dallas last offseason, and his priority is simple: help the Mavericks become a competitive Western Conference team again.
His hunger for that is exactly what the Mavericks need. As the team moves into the Dusty May era, Washington says he’ll do whatever is asked of him if it means putting more wins on the board.
In Other News...
Mavericks Need More From Naji Marshall In One Crucial Area
Naji Marshall came to Dallas with a reputation as a useful two-way wing, someone who could give the Mavericks sturdy perimeter defense and enough offensive pop to keep the floor spaced. Since arriving, though, the shooting has not traveled with him in the same way it did in New Orleans, and the team is still waiting for that part of his game to settle in alongside the rest of his role.
Marshall has still shown value as a defender, including at least one steal per game in each of the last two seasons, but Dallas wants more consistency on both ends as it heads into the new year. With Kyrie Irving set to return to the lineup, the Mavericks need Marshall to be cleaner and more reliable as a spacer and to bring the kind of effort that helps hold up the wing rotation over the course of a long season. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Opening Night Lineup Suddenly Feels Much More Settled
Dereck Lively II has not yet returned to practice, and his chances of being ready for the Mavericks season opener look slim enough to narrow one of the teams biggest early questions. With the calendar moving toward opening night, Dallas is beginning to get a clearer picture of how its frontcourt will line up, and that matters for a roster still sorting out roles around the paint.
Dusty May is expected to go with Daniel Gafford at center to begin the season, a familiar move for a player who has already started games for Dallas before. The more interesting wrinkle is what comes next: Gafford is slated to take on a bigger offensive role, and that could mean a different look for the Mavericks spacing if his game stretches beyond the usual rim-running duties. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Lively II Just Became A Bigger Long-Term Mavs Question
Dereck Lively II has become one of the more interesting long-term decisions on the Mavericks docket, with the team facing an October 19 deadline to work out a rookie-scale extension. For now, the expectation is that Dallas will keep its powder dry and take a longer look, especially with Lively still working back from foot surgery and not yet ready to return to practice.
That creates an awkward but understandable pause for a player the Mavericks still view as part of their future, but one whose health and role need more clarity before any multiyear commitment. Recent reporting has also pointed to other players from the 2023 draft class being more likely to land extensions first, which only sharpens the question hanging over Lively as Dallas weighs recovery, fit and timing. [Read more 🡒]