The Dallas Mavericks officially signed forward PJ Washington to a 4-year/$90 million contract extension on Wednesday, making him ineligible to be traded this upcoming season. The loss of Washington as a potential trade target is a big one for the Pistons, who are still searching for a young two-way power forward.
Some suggested the Pistons could flip Jaden Ivey for Washington, but at least for next season, Washington is staying in Dallas, but was it a good deal for the Mavs?
PJ Washington: Worth The Cost?
Washington’s contract is a prime example of how the NBA’s salary cap has exploded over the years. Many fans may balk at his $22.5 million annual earnings, but that’s actually a standard rate these days for quality starters.
For the Pistons, the question of whether Washington would be “worth it” takes on another dimension because they would have to trade for him too. This would mean giving up a potentially important piece on top of giving Washington that considerable contract.
Washington has been a very solid 3-and-D player for the Mavericks in the last couple of seasons. Last season, he shot an impressive 38 percent from three while being one of Dallas’ best defenders. He has good versatility on the defensive end too, and is able to guard multiple positions.
Washington is still young at 26 years old, and could fit in timeline wise next to Cade Cunningham. However, the Mavericks’ asking price may simply have been too high for the Pistons to pursue.
The Mavericks are loaded in frontcourt talent, both in the present (Anthony Davis) and future (Cooper Flagg). It’s not hard to imagine them wanting a dynamic guard to carry them into the future as Kyrie Irving ages.
The Mavericks may have asked for Jaden Ivey in return for Washington, which would have been a hard trade for the Pistons front office or fanbase to stomach. Washington may be a bigger contributor for a contender right now, but Ivey still has the potential to be an All-Star level talent. The Pistons will want to see what he can really develop into before shipping him out hastily in a win-now trade.
With Washington officially off the market, the Pistons’ quest to fill the backup power forward spot behind Tobias Harris continues. It’s also worth noting that Harris has an expiring contract, so the Pistons will want to solidify their long-term solution at power forward by the summer of 2026.