P.J. Washington has heard his name come up in summer trade chatter, but he isn’t sounding like a player who’s looking for the exit.
That matters in Dallas right now. The Mavericks are a very different team than the one that finished last season, and Washington was one of the names fans wondered about once the rumor mill started spinning. Instead, the forward made it clear he expects to stay put.
In an exclusive interview with Kevin Gray Jr. of DLLS Sports, Washington said he’s feeling good about where things stand with the Mavericks.
"Super confident," Washington said. "I've had long talks with Masai, our GM, and the whole team, so, I'm super confident I'll be a Maverick. This is where I want to be, so I'm super excited to be here and can't wait to get things going."
That’s about as direct as it gets. Washington didn’t leave much room for interpretation, and he certainly didn’t sound like someone preparing for a move somewhere else.
Dallas has every reason to listen. The Mavericks traded for Washington at the 2024 deadline, and he quickly became a key piece in their push to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. His shooting, defense, versatility, and energy gave the roster exactly what it needed, and he’s grown into both a core player and a fan favorite.
The team reinforced that belief last offseason with a four-year contract extension, which made him ineligible to be traded until this offseason. Teams have shown interest in the 27-year-old forward, but Dallas hasn’t acted like a club eager to move him.
Washington’s own comments only strengthen that picture. He talked repeatedly during the four-minute interview about how excited he is to play in Dallas, and he has long viewed the opportunity as special. He grew up in DFW, and that connection still shows in the way he talks about the Mavericks.
For now, the message is simple: Washington wants to keep building what he started in Dallas, and he sounds confident he’ll get that chance when opening night arrives in just over two months.
In Other News...
Klay Thompson Situation Could Put The Mavericks In A Strong Spot
Klay Thompsons future has become a small but meaningful subplot for the Mavericks as they weigh whether to move him via trade or take a different route that would send him into free agency. Around the league, the interest is real, with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers among the teams keeping close tabs on the situation, and Dallas appears to have a handle on a market that could shift depending on who blinks first.
Miami has been especially persistent in its pursuit of Thompson, though the path it wants is not the only one available if Dallas decides to hold firm. The Mavericks, for their part, seem inclined to work out a trade rather than simply let him go, which leaves the next move hinging less on desire than on which side is willing to compromise enough to get a deal done. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Fans Have A New Shawn Marion Hall Of Fame Debate
Amare Stoudemires selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fames 2026 class has stirred up a familiar conversation for Mavericks fans, because it puts another one of his former teammates back into the spotlight. Shawn Marion, a central piece of Dallas 2011 championship run, remains one of the names that naturally comes up when people start sorting through that eras legacy and which players ultimately get the Hall nod.
Marions case has plenty going for it beyond one title ring, and ESPN has already flagged him as a player with a strong chance to hear his name called down the road. For Mavs fans, the debate is less about whether he mattered and more about how the Hall will weigh a career that included major stops, a distinctive all-around game and a championship rsum that still carries real weight in Dallas lore. [Read more 🡒]
PJ Washingtons Confidence Puts Pressure On Dallas Roster Crunch
P.J. Washington has given the Mavericks a little early clarity in a summer that still feels crowded. After long conversations with team president Masai Ujiri, Washington said he is confident he will be on the roster when the season opens, a reassuring note for a team trying to sort out its frontcourt picture while carrying 16 players on standard contracts.
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 🡒]