The Dallas Mavericks will have PJ Washington, who's been battling a hip tightness injury, make his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, per ClutchPoints' Joey Mistretta. Washington did not appear in the Mavs' first two preseason games.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks are still without Luka Doncic (calf contusion). On Saturday, head coach Jason Kidd said Doncic would likely need more time to be evaluated later in the week, per Mistretta.

“I would not say Monday,” Kidd said. “But we will see how everything is going when we come back from LA. We will probably have a better sense of what's going to take place on Thursday.”

Last February, Dallas traded with the Charlotte Hornets for PJ Washington and 2024 and 2028 second-round picks for Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a 2027 first-round pick.

PJ Washington's role in the Mavericks' frontcourt

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Washington fit right in during last year's NBA Finals run, just ask former Mavericks' legend Dirk Nowitski.

“Well I think who is at hand is PJ Washington, I think that deal really put us over the top,” Nowitzki said on The Big Podcast with Shaq. “I think we had a good team before, but getting PJ and Gaff (Gafford) at the trading deadline was an unbelievable move by the management. It gave us some depth, gave us length, and PJ has been incredible, and I think in Charlotte maybe at times, I don’t know if they wanted him to score too much or I’m not really sure what the problem was but here he’s just a perfect fit and match for the guys.

“He can make a shot, he brings toughness, and he brings defense and length, so he’s been super fun, and he’s here from Dallas, you know he grew up in Frisco.”

Now, with Klay Thompson in the mix, the Mavericks have an interesting combination of shooting and length to their frontcourt. Washington and Gafford are both athletic and long inside the paint. Thompson adds a lights-out shooter to replace Tim Hardaway Jr., who had spent the last six years in Dallas.

Washington is also a solid three-point shooter, contributing 1.8 3PM per game last year and a 35.4 career 3P%.