The Dallas Mavericks and PJ Washington reportedly agreed to a four-year, $90 million contract extension on Wednesday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Washington's contract extension with the Mavs will keep him in Dallas through the 2029-30 season barring the possibility of a trade down the road. It is worth noting that Washington is ineligible to be traded during the 2025-26 campaign, as a six-month trade restriction will be implemented once he officially signs the new deal, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Washington initially became eligible to sign the contract extension on Friday. Although a Mavericks-Washington contract extension was expected, it did not immediately come to fruition. However, it is now an agreed upon deal. It will become official soon barring any unforeseen circumstances.
So, is the $90 million contract over four years a good deal?
PJ Washington agrees to contract extension with Mavericks
Washington gives the Mavericks valuable forward depth. One can argue that the Mavs' current forward depth is fairly redundant, with players such as Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall on the roster. Washington's versatility still makes him a quality fit for this roster, though.
PJ is capable of defending multiple positions. He can start or come off the bench, bringing value in each role. He has been a starter for the most part since joining Dallas, and the Mavs have multiple potential starting lineups they could implement during the upcoming campaign.
Regardless of his role, Washington will likely make a positive impact once again.
If the Mavericks were to decide to move on in the future and trade Washington, the contract should not steer teams away from potential interest. Of course, there is a chance Washington spends all four seasons in Dallas. Anything can happen in the future, though, and the contract will provide flexibility in the event that the Mavericks decide to make Washington available in trade talks following the 2025-26 campaign.
For Washington, the deal represents stability. Regardless of whether or not a trade happens in the future, he will earn respectable money in the prime of his career. The 27-year-old could also receive the opportunity to compete for a championship. Dallas features an intriguing roster and it would not be surprising to see the team make a serious postseason run within the next year or two.
What Washington's contract means for Mavs
Are the Mavericks done making additions this offseason? Are they set to move forward with the roster as currently constructed?
Dallas has already had a busy offseason despite not necessarily making any jaw-dropping splashes in free agency or via trades. The Mavericks have now agreed to contract extensions with PJ Washington, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford. The Mavs also re-signed Dante Exum and signed D'Angelo Russell to boost their guard depth.
Of course, the big move was selecting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Mavericks shocked the NBA world by winning the NBA Draft lottery and ultimately selected the Duke basketball phenom in a franchise-changing move.
As things stand right now, it appears that signing Washington may be the last especially notable move of the offseason. Sure, Dallas will have training camp decisions to make, but unless they make a surprising trade/free agency decision, the Mavericks will likely move forward with their current roster.
