P.J. Washington Reveals 2 Priorities Entering New Mavs Season

MACAO - P.J. Washington missed 51 games over the last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. He played 57 in 2024-25 and 56 last season, when an illness and left elbow soreness cost him time late in the year.

Coming into camp at 100% health was the priority for Washington this summer.

"For me, just my biggest emphasis is making sure I'm doing everything, making sure my body's right each and every day, make sure I come in here at 100% health, and just doing all the little things," Washington said at media day Sept. 25. "I think for me, the weight room has been very beneficial for me. Try to do something each and every day, and I think that'll take me a long way."

Washington is entering the first season of the four-year, $90 million extension he signed with Dallas in September 2025. It runs through 2029-30.

Since Dallas acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets in February 2024, he has started 137 of the 142 regular-season games he has played. He has also pushed back on trade rumors involving him.

In 2024-25, Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists and shot 38.1% from three on 91-of-239. Last season, he averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 56 games, with 53 starts.

His 3-point shooting fell to 32.5% on 76-of-234. His career mark is 35.4%.

Shot mechanics were first on the list of what Washington worked on beyond his health.

"My shot mechanics, being able to playmake a little better, and just trying to get a good rhythm in the offense and finding my niche, I would say," Washington explained.

On Thursday, he worked on his pull-up. Getting the ball out the same way every time is the focus.

"I think it's great for me and great for the team. If I can hit the three-ball at a consistent rate, it opens the floor for a lot of us," Washington said. "The team's got to guard me out there. Obviously, I'm going to have more driving lanes and more ways to create for others. For me, my biggest thing is just trying to stay upright and get the ball out the same way every single time."

Mavericks coach Dusty May said Thursday that Washington shot the ball well in live play. May also said some lineups will need whoever draws the lesser defender to bring the ball up.

"He shot the ball well in live play," May said. "He's making good decisions on and off the ball. And then there's gonna be lineups with whoever has the lesser defenders that have to bring it up. And P.J. certainly in that mix."

"A guy that can play the point forward, and it's all dependent on who's guarding him and the matchups in that game," May continued. "So, playing as many teams as we play, and as big as the league is, you're gonna see so many different things. And so you gotta have that optionality."

Charlotte took Washington 12th overall in 2019 out of Kentucky, and he made the All-Rookie team in 2019-20. Over 446 career games, he has averaged 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. In 2021-22, his third season with the Hornets, he made 28 starts in 65 games.

His only postseason came in 2024. Washington started all 22 of Dallas' playoff games on the way to the NBA Finals and averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds. The Mavericks lost in the play-in tournament in 2025 and finished 26-56 last season.

Being vocal is part of the job for Washington in his eighth season.

"It's been good. I mean, for me, I think obviously I'm at the point in my career where I'm a vet now. So my voice means a lot more now," Washington said. "So for me, I think it's going to be my biggest transition during the year, is making sure I'm … off the floor and on the floor for the guys, and just being vocal doing it."

Four practices into camp, May was still without a starting lineup. A day later, he put Washington in the mix for a starting spot, mostly because of his positional versatility.

Washington spent part of his summer in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Dallas is now in Macao for two preseason games against the Houston Rockets, the first on Oct. 9 at 7 a.m. CT.

The regular season opens Oct. 21 in Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.