The Mavericks’ roster is stocked with forwards, which could eventually make P.J. Washington expendable, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required) writes in his latest Substack column. Stein hears that rival teams believe Dallas will consider parting with Washington at some point after an offseason roster overhaul that included the additions of former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacherlottery selection Morez Johnson Jr. and European star Tarik Biberovic.
Washington, 28, is entering the first season of a four-year, $88MM extension he signed last summer. Stein states that Washington has talked recently about wanting to reach the playoffs, which has only happened once during his seven years in the NBA. That may not be a realistic goal with the rebuilding Mavericks, and several contenders are likely to express interest by the trade deadline in February.
Stein also cites an interview Washington did this week with Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports where he discussed a conversation with team president Masai Ujiri.
“He told me (that) you’re basically what I look for in a player: A big versatile guy that can do a lot of things on both ends of the floor,” Washington said. “He told me I wasn’t going to get traded — and (that) if I was he would tell me. So for me I think it’s just building trust. He’s a guy you can trust and have a great relationship with.”
Stein shares more inside information from around the league:
- With the deadline for rookie scale extensions now just two weeks away, Stein looks at the most likely candidates to land new deals. Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson and Keyonte George are the only players from the 2023 draft class to be extended so far, and league sources tell Stein that the Hornets’ Brandon Millerthe Magic’s Anthony Blackthe Thunder’s Cason Wallace and the Warriors’ Brandin Pod Ziemia are the most likely candidates to join them. Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin talked recently about “seemingly mutual interest” on an extension with Scoot Hendersonbut Stein says it’s tough to assess the situation with Henderson or the Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly.
- Sources tell Stein that Golden State wants to get a deal finalized with Podziemski before the deadline. His Stein Line partner, Jake Fischer, said on the Bleacher Report video stream last week that it may depend on whether the Warriors are willing to top the four-year, $60MM extension that the Heat gave Pelle Larsson last month.
- Stein also recaps the Pistons’ summer-long contract standoff with Jalen Durenwhich came to an end when he accepted the team’s five-year, $200MM offer on October 1. Duren expressed his loyalty to the organization during a press conference on Sunday, but Stein notes that any lingering bitterness will have to be put aside quickly, with the Pistons opening the preseason tonight and playing their first regular season game in 15 days.