The Dallas Mavericks announced Thursday that they are keeping forward P.J. Washington Jr. under contract with a multi-year extension. While the team didn’t release financial details, a source confirmed the deal is valued at $89 million over four years. Washington joined Dallas ahead of the 2024 trade deadline and played a key role in helping the team reach the NBA Finals months later.
Washington’s role in the upcoming season could shift with the arrival of No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg. Both players are best suited at small forward, creating potential overlap in the lineup. Their pairing could prove valuable once Kyrie Irving returns from a torn ACL, though the All-Star guard is expected to miss the start of the season.
To bolster guard depth, Dallas is also bringing back Dante Exum. The 30-year-old Australian, drafted fifth overall in 2014, has struggled with injuries during his two seasons with the Mavericks but remains a rotation option at point guard until Irving is back.
In making room for Exum, the Mavericks waived forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 first-round pick who had spent two years with the team.