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P.J. Washington is "likely" to sign an extension with the Dallas Mavericks, sources told Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Washington will become eligible for a four-year extension worth just under $90 million on Friday.

Washington also remains highly thought of by several teams around the league.

Should Washington sign an extension with a 20% raise in the first year from his 2025-26 salary of $14.2 million, he would be ineligible to be traded for the first six months of the contract.

Washington average 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds last season. 

Via Marc Stein/The Stein Line

All of the elements are present to make an extension for PJ unlikely: the team is already over the second apron. The team needs talent upgrade in the backcourt, PJ’s path to starting is blocked and other teams like him.

sonictecture wrote:All of the elements are present to make an extension for PJ unlikely: the team is already over the second apron. The team needs talent upgrade in the backcourt, PJ’s path to starting is blocked and other teams like him.

Agreed. Plainly, why would they pay anything close to $90M over 4 years for someone who won't start a game? That seems like it would be poor cap management. If he gets offered that kind of money, it shouldn't be the Mavs making that offer.

Future Coach wrote:

sonictecture wrote:All of the elements are present to make an extension for PJ unlikely: the team is already over the second apron. The team needs talent upgrade in the backcourt, PJ’s path to starting is blocked and other teams like him.

Agreed. Plainly, why would they pay anything close to $90M over 4 years for someone who won't start a game? That seems like it would be poor cap management. If he gets offered that kind of money, it shouldn't be the Mavs making that offer.

Why wouldn't he be starting? He has started in 320 of 390 career games, including all but one last season? He was 3rd in MPG in DAL last season behind Luka (gone) and Kyrie, who will be out for most of the season. PJ is a starter.

Pickled Prunes wrote:

Future Coach wrote:

sonictecture wrote:All of the elements are present to make an extension for PJ unlikely: the team is already over the second apron. The team needs talent upgrade in the backcourt, PJ’s path to starting is blocked and other teams like him.

Agreed. Plainly, why would they pay anything close to $90M over 4 years for someone who won't start a game? That seems like it would be poor cap management. If he gets offered that kind of money, it shouldn't be the Mavs making that offer.

Why wouldn't he be starting? He has started in 320 of 390 career games, including all but one last season? He was 3rd in MPG in DAL last season behind Luka (gone) and Kyrie, who will be out for most of the season. PJ is a starter.

So you are saying he will be starting over Cooper Flagg at SF? Or maybe AD at the PF position...?

CaHgO wrote:

Pickled Prunes wrote:

Future Coach wrote:
Agreed. Plainly, why would they pay anything close to $90M over 4 years for someone who won't start a game? That seems like it would be poor cap management. If he gets offered that kind of money, it shouldn't be the Mavs making that offer.

Why wouldn't he be starting? He has started in 320 of 390 career games, including all but one last season? He was 3rd in MPG in DAL last season behind Luka (gone) and Kyrie, who will be out for most of the season. PJ is a starter.

So you are saying he will be starting over Cooper Flagg at SF? Or maybe AD at the PF position...?

Yes, he should start over AD at PF... because AD is the best center on the roster.

I guess a better way of making my point is that DAL would be signing PJ to play 30+ MPG, whether he starts tomorrow or not. It's a potential 4-year extension, not a 4-week retreat. Yes, DAL has a logjam in the frontcourt. They also have an immense void in the backcourt. This is not the roster they will finish the season with, let alone the next five seasons. They need to make some moves.

With their current roster their best lineup would be AD, Cooper and PJ in the frontcourt. They will probably start AD at PF to placate him in the short term, but they aren't building the team around AD. Even with the assumption that PJ comes off the bench in October, he will be getting starters minutes and eventually moving back into the starting lineup when the logjam is cleared up. He will also start every game that AD misses, which could be half the season.