It's been a busy offseason for the Dallas Mavericks, as Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have been doing all they can to get Cooper Flagg the help he needs, but one major question looks like it's been answered, according to P.J. Washington.
He told Kevin Gray Jr. in an exclusive interview with All-City DLLS that he has talked to the Mavericks' front office and feels he's still got something to compete for in a Mavericks uniform.
"Super confident. I've had long talks with Masai, our GM, and the whole team, so I'm super confident I'll be a Maverick. This is where I want to be, so I'm super excited to be here and can't wait to get things going."
P.J. Washington looks like he will be staying a Maverick
There's been plenty of talk about what the Mavericks will do to balance out their forward depth. They've got a lot of size at that position, with Flagg even playing the point guard role, but it's a logjam, to say the least.
Washington has been in the middle of those conversations recently, but if he said he's talked to Ujiri, then it almost looks like nothing will happen to him this season.
They also have 16 players under contract, so someone is bound to get the boot. It could still be Daniel Gafford, who suffered an injury in last year's training camp and always looked struggling on the court. Give him credit for trying to be a trooper.
Dwight Powell has been the elephant in the room with the Mavs since 2014. That's all the way back to the Rajon Rondo trade. Who knew Powell would be the last one standing? And for 12 years at that? He can still be the obvious veteran voice, but with all the movement in Dallas this summer, it's hard to believe he can get real playing time. Maybe only if Dallas goes on another injury carousel, but we don't want to see that.
For years, Miami had Udonis Haslem play that same role, but they found room just for him. Powell can play that role, but the Mavs are in a position where they have to move someone.
Washington sometimes struggles as a shooter, but he's a tenacious defender and a hustle player who's worth a lot. If he's firing on all cylinders, give him the rock. If not, play defense, and the rest will follow.
He's a fan favorite over the years, and it's nice to see him still planning to play in the Mavs uniform, but it also answers the million-dollar question of whether he will stay or be traded.
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