Despite a large load of wings and forwards, the Mavs are maintaining a stern asking price for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The Dallas Mavericks' already busy offseason continues with persistent rumors of a buyout or trade because the roster is currently one player over the maximum.
Pending free agents Brandon Williams and Dwight Powell likely won't have a place on the roster as new front office boss Masai Ujiri takes over. But it's a handful of Mavs contributors who are generating interest around the league.
Several rumors have placed P.J. Washington in trade speculation, which joins him with Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford as the Mavericks who have been talked about most in regard to a change of scenery this offseason.
However, Mavs insider Marc Stein believes Ujiri to be a fan of Washington's, which suggests Dallas' interest in keeping the Frisco native and versatile wing.
Washington, whom the Mavs acquired at the trade deadline just before their run to the 2024 NBA Finals, was extended on a four-year, $88.7 million contract in September of last year. So, the security is there, and at 27 years old, Washington qualifies for Dallas' youth-centric roster-building philosophy around budding star Cooper Flagg.
Dallas traded Seth Curry, Grant Williams and a first-round draft pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Washington. That level of investment could be a reason why Dallas is holding firm on potential trade talks involving Washington, as, according to The Stein Line's Jake Fischer, the Mavs are not likely to be interested in deals that do not involve Dallas netting a first-round pick.
That price could be in play regarding Gafford, as well, who was also acquired at the 2023-24 deadline in exchange for a first-rounder.
These transactions both came under the Nico Harrison regime in Dallas, but that should not deter the team from second-guessing Washington and Gafford's places on the roster.
As valuable influences for continuity and leadership, the two also bring crucial aspects to the lineup.
Washington is able to guard nearly every position as a big guard or a small-ball center. While his 3-point shot struggled last season (32.5 percent), he's still capable of reaching league-average marks, perhaps with better playmaking out of the backcourt (where Dallas struggled mightily a year ago).
As it relates to Washington's fit, it's certainly clunky at the moment. Newly-extended Naji Marshall, trade acquisition Zaccharie Risacher and defensive-minded rookie Morez Johnson Jr. all fight for similar roles on the floor as athletic and skilled wings and forwards. Throw Flagg's 30+ minutes per game into that mix, too, and things get increasingly complicated.
Gafford's depth as a true center is invaluable as long as Dereck Lively II continues to prove he cannot go a full season without missing substantial time due to injury. Lively remains a building block in the Flagg era, but Ujiri simply cannot forfeit his center rotation at the risk of injuries limiting the team's lob threat and rim protection.
As for Thompson, his place as a true shooting guard is less threatened by competition for a roster spot and more by his age and below-average (to his standards) season in 2025-26. Still, the future Hall of Famer shot 38 percent from 3 last season, proving he can play a key role for either the Mavs or a contending team looking to buy at the midway point of the year.
For now, it appears that these trade rumors could extend into the regular season as new head coach Dusty May experiments with lineups that work best, and players dictate (either positively or negatively) their trade market based on their performance.
But every player has a price, and the Mavs have pretty firmly suggested that any negotiations must start at a premium draft pick.
