The Dallas Mavericks and forward P.J. Washington have agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals last season. He shot 45.3 percent from the field and 38.1 percent on threes.
He had one year remaining on his deal worth $14.1 million and is now signed through the 2029-30 season.
Earlier this summer, Dallas was also able to come to agreements on extensions with Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford. Their main offseason acquisition was D’Angelo Russell to be the starting point guard for the first half of the season.
The Mavericks will need Washington to produce especially early in the season, when Irving will still be recovering from a torn ACL and Cooper Flagg will be getting acclimated to NBA life.
Mavericks Will Lean Heavily On Frontcourt
Dallas has plenty of options in the frontcourt. Anthony Davis, Flagg and Gafford will likely start, with Washington and Dereck Lively II in reserve.
It’s going to be an interesting first few months of the season for the Mavs to see where they stack up. The West presents plenty of challenging teams and it will take a special effort to stay afloat early.
Davis’s health will be the biggest factor in the Mavs’ ability to succeed. He missed six weeks after making his Dallas debut, playing nine regular season games.
How Russell runs the team and caters to the growth of Flagg will be another important factor. He became a forgotten man in Brooklyn after getting traded by the Los Angeles Lakers. He has scoring prowess but his playmaking isn’t entirely enticing beyond some flashy moments.
This is where Washington once again becomes that X-Factor. He’s someone who can supplement the offense as a reserve but also handle a bigger load when others are absent or struggling.
