DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 10: Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks watches warmups before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on April 10, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks have reached a contract extension with forward P.J. Washington, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal is for four years and $90 million.
Washington spent part of his youth growing up in Texas. That includes attending Dallas-based high school Prime Prep Academy. While a trade could shorten his homecoming, he’s now tied to the area through 2029-30.
The 27-year-old’s extension extinguishes any remaining embers surrounding the possibility of the Mavericks trading him this offseason. Those rumors ran rampant earlier this summer. Speculation included the prospect of including Washington in three-team constructs to land a guard like Jrue Holiday to bolster their backcourt.
If he didn’t already, Washington can now have peace of mind about his immediate NBA future.
P.J. Washington’s impact with the Mavericks
After spending the first 4.5 seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, the former 12th overall draft pick joined the Mavericks in a trade that sent Grant Williams to the Queen City in February of 2024.
Washington quickly made an impact on his new team, helping Dallas reach the NBA Finals that year. Last season, the franchise had to navigate the turbulence that came from Luka Doncic missing extended time due to injury before headlining one of the most shocking and unexpected trades in sports history. Still, the six-year veteran performed well.
The six-foot-six wing averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds, both career highs. Washington also swiped 1.1 steals and swatted 1.1 shots per game. He knocked down 38.1 percent of the 4.2 shots he hoisted from beyond the arc.
His defensive versatility and effectiveness on catch-and-shoot threes will pair nicely with this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Cooper Flagg. That tandem can now team together for the foreseeable future.
Washington is the type of dynamic, two-way player that will help the Mavericks get the most out of Flagg. And just as he did his part in trying to calm the storm after the Doncic trade and injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, he can now play a meaningful role in helping Dallas’s effort to ascend the standings in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.