P.J. Washington has been one of the Mavericks’ steadiest starters since arriving in Dallas in 2024, but his grip on that role is no longer guaranteed.
Washington’s value was obvious almost immediately. His versatility, defense and shooting helped push Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals, and he became one of the team’s most dependable pieces over the past few seasons.
The Mavericks also showed how much they valued him by giving him a four-year extension last summer. He has started 137 of the 142 games he’s played for Dallas.
But the Mavericks are operating in a very different lane now. They’re no longer the same win-now group that traded for Washington and rode that run all the way to the Finals. This version of the roster is being built around Cooper Flagg, and that changes the calculus for just about everybody.
The issue is fit. Dallas wants pieces that make life easier for its 19-year-old centerpiece, and Washington may not be the cleanest match in that starting group after what the team saw last season. His shaky 3-point shooting made for a rough pairing with Flagg, and with Flagg shooting under 30 percent from three as a rookie, starting both players together could create spacing problems Dallas doesn’t want to live with.
That opens the door for Santi Aldama. The Mavericks picked him up in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this summer, and he brings a better shooting profile to the table.
Aldama hit 35 percent of his threes on 4.7 attempts per game last season, and his catch-and-shoot touch looks like a modest upgrade over Washington’s. At 7-foot, he also gives Dallas size on the wing.
There’s also the timeline piece. Aldama is 25 and entering his sixth NBA season, while Washington is nearly two and a half years older. With Dallas getting younger this offseason, Aldama fits more naturally with the direction the front office appears to be taking.
If the Mavericks want to push even further into that youth movement, Morez Johnson Jr. is another name to watch. Dallas drafted him with the No. 9 pick earlier this summer, and that kind of investment usually comes with a real opportunity.
Johnson Jr. is 20, and his defense, rebounding, energy and versatility make him a strong long-term fit next to Flagg. His biggest appeal is the way he impacts winning, and the Mavericks could decide the best way to develop him is to throw him right into the starting lineup.
That would almost certainly come at the expense of some immediate wins compared with starting Washington, but it would also give Johnson Jr. the minutes he needs and help keep him from getting buried in Dallas’ frontcourt logjam. It would be another clear signal that the Mavericks are focused on what comes next.
For now, Washington still looks like the most logical power forward to start. But his spot isn’t nearly as secure as it used to be, and Dallas has already given itself a few younger alternatives if it decides to turn the page.
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That matters because the Mavericks do not have much margin for error behind Kyrie Irving, and the way the roster has come together suggests the front office is comfortable leaning on De Larrea sooner rather than later. With Marcus Sasser in the mix as well, the backup point guard room is thin enough that every preseason look and rotation decision carries extra weight. If Irving misses time, Dallas may not have the luxury of easing De Larrea in slowly. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington's Starting Role Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
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Washington still has a strong case to stay involved in the starting mix, especially because his defensive versatility gives Dallas a look it values. His ability to handle multiple jobs on that end is part of why the Mavericks may be reluctant to move too quickly, even with a young big pressing for minutes. For now, though, the decision appears fluid, with camp and preseason expected to determine whether Dallas leans into the rookie or keeps Washington in place. [Read more 🡒]