The future of P.J. Washington at the Dallas Mavericks had caused some speculation this offseason, but any thought of the Golden State Warriors or another rival getting their hands on the 27-year-old was officially put to bed on Wednesday.
As first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, Washington has signed a four-year, $90 million extension with the Mavericks which also makes him ineligible to be traded before February's mid-season deadline.
The Warriors can put a line through trading for P.J. Washington
The arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has only added to a loaded Mavericks front court that also features big men Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, along with cheaper rotation players in Caleb Martin and Naji Marshall.
That had placed some uncertainty around Washington's role at the Mavericks and therefore his long-term future with the franchise, having previously been entering the season on a $14.2 million expiring contract.
Had this extension not been forthcoming, Washington certainly would have garnered some interest on the trade market. That may have included the Warriors who need some size and shooting between Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, something Washington could have filled as a 6'7" 3-and-D forward.
The six-year veteran averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in his 57 appearances last season, shooting 38.1% from 3-point range on over four attempts per game.
Since being traded to the Mavericks from the Charlotte Hornets in February last year, Washington has been a solidified starter which included averaging over 35 minutes per game during Dallas' postseason run to the NBA Finals in 2024.
While there remains some questions on just how much Flagg will impact Washington's role and minutes, there's now no doubt that the Mavericks will play the entire 2025-26 season with the former 12th overall pick on the roster.
As for the Warriors, their search for another front court spacing threat will have to head elsewhere. They're still expected to sign Al Horford in free agency, but may need another versatile forward option or hope that Moses Moody can take another significant step entering his fifth season.
Another shooter with positional size does seem on their radar, having shown a 'strong affinity' for Trey Murphy III according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line last month. Murphy is at the absolute top tier of targets though and would be deemed by many as unrealistic, with a cheaper potential option in Washington now off the table as well.