Crowded Mavericks frontcourt puts $90 million forward's future with team in serious doubt

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The Dallas Mavericks have made two major moves this offseason that quietly turned P.J. Washington from a franchise fixture into an expendable trade chip.

First came the 2026 NBA Draft. Dallas passed on backcourt help to select physical Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick.

Then, days later, the front office capitalized on a massive six-team trade to acquire Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic. To secure the 7-foot stretch big, Dallas sent out young guard AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick

Washington signed a four-year, $90 million extension last summer that begins this season, paying him $19.8 million for 2026-27. The deal seemed secure at the time, especially after his defensive versatility and shooting helped Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals.

However, the roster has changed. Cooper Flagg is now the franchise cornerstone, creating a crowded frontcourt alongside Santi Aldama, Naji Marshall, Morez Johnson Jr., Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II. They are all fighting over minutes at the four and five.

Based on this situation, multiple reports referred o Washington as the most likely player to be traded. "Given how crowded the frontcourt in Dallas is, there is very little reason for the Mavs to keep him on the four-year contract extension he is just starting," one Mavericks beat outlet wrote following the Johnson Jr. pick.

After the Aldama trade added even more overlap at Washington's spot, another report claimed, "The already-existent Washington trade rumors are bound to heat up even more after this move for Aldama... it seems like his days are numbered."

The 27-year-old still holds genuine trade value. His age, contract, and two-way skills make him attractive to teams looking for frontcourt help. Dallas has already been linked to trade rumors involving guards like Portland's Shaedon Sharpe, using Washington's salary to balance a deal.

The Mavs can easily keep him until the February deadline to see how the market develops. With so many big men on the roster, for the first time since he arrived in 2024, Washington's spot in Dallas is no longer secure.