The Dallas Mavericks have built themselves into a roster squeeze, and P.J. Washington is right in the middle of it.
Dallas is carrying 16 players on standard contracts, which means the team has to get down to 15 before the season opens. On top of that, the frontcourt is crowded enough to make every minute feel spoken for, especially after the Mavericks used the ninth pick on Morez Johnson Jr. and swung a trade for Santi Aldama. That kind of depth naturally kicked up questions about where forwards like Naji Marshall and Washington fit in.
Marshall’s situation looks more settled after he signed a new contract extension a few weeks ago. Washington, though, was the name that kept coming up as a possible trade piece. He doesn’t sound worried.
When Kevin Gray of DLLS Mavs asked how confident he was that he’d still be on the roster when the season starts, Washington didn’t hesitate: "Super confident. I've had long talks with Masai [Ujiri], our GM, and the whole team.
I'm super confident I'll be a Maverick. This is where I wanna be.
I'm super excited to be here, and can't wait to get things going."
Washington was a major part of Dallas’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals after the Mavericks brought him in for Josh Green, Grant Williams, and a 2027 first-round pick that is top-two protected.
But the franchise’s direction has shifted since then. Trading Luka Doncic and then landing Cooper Flagg in the draft changed the look of the roster, and based on what happened last season, Flagg and Washington may not be the cleanest fit together on the floor.
Washington’s four-year, $88 million contract, signed last offseason, is only now beginning this season. That deal makes sense when he’s at his best, but injuries limited him last year, and that has pushed the contract into mostly negative territory in the eyes of many.
The real problem for Dallas is simple: there aren’t enough clean minutes to go around. Unless Flagg is pushed out of position again, the Mavericks are going to have a hard time keeping everyone happy in the frontcourt.
Johnson and Aldama should both see time at center, but they’re joining a group that already includes Dereck Lively II, if healthy, Daniel Gafford, and Moussa Cisse. Cisse may not be a major rotation player right away, but Dallas wouldn’t have matched his offer sheet from the Knicks unless it believed in what he can bring.
Washington and Marshall can both slide to small forward, but that doesn’t solve everything with Cooper Flagg and Zaccharie Risacher also there. The Mavericks have talent, but they also have a logjam, and Washington is making it clear he expects to stay put.
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PJ Washingtons Confidence Puts Pressure On Dallas Roster Crunch
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The problem for Dallas is that confidence from one player does not solve the arithmetic. The Mavericks have a packed power forward group, and with several players widely viewed as unlikely to move, the front office still has to make a decision before opening night. A few names around the roster bubble are easier to imagine in trade talks than others, which only adds to the sense that the next move may say as much about the team's priorities as the final lineup itself. [Read more 🡒]