P.J. Washington embracing whatever role Mavericks, Jason Kidd throw at him this season

P.J. Washington Jr. started in 56 of his 57 appearances last season. During his roughly 1½ seasons as a Maverick he’s started 84 of 86 games.

Yet when the Mavericks host San Antonio in both teams’ season opener Wednesday night, Washington might well be asked to come off the bench. If not Wednesday, it seems likely he’ll be a bench player at some point this season.

That’s what happened in two of Dallas’ four preseason games, but if the prospect of a new role bothers him in any way, he sure had a convincing poker face after practice Monday.

“I’m just coming in and trying to win, doing everything I can to be successful and to help my teammates be in great positions to win,” he said. “So it doesn’t matter if I’m starting to come off the bench. For me it’s all about winning.”

Mavericks

Washington, 27, probably will always be a Mavericks fan favorite because he grew up in Frisco and because he famously stood on business during Dallas’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals.

This offseason, quietly, Washington became a testament to the culture that coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison have attempted to build.

Washington and center Daniel Gafford would be guaranteed of starting on many NBA teams, yet facing the possibility of coming off the bench this season, Gafford in June signed a three-year $54 million extension and Washington in September signed a four-year, $90 million extension.

As of Monday, Kidd was unwilling to reveal whether No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg will start Wednesday night at point guard or small forward.

“We’ll see,” Kidd said. Asked whether he hasn’t decided or just won’t say, Kidd said coyly: “Both.”

If Flagg starts at point guard, Washington would start at small forward. If Flagg starts at small forward, that would entail Washington coming off the bench.

“We’ve seen that from Day One when we got him in the trade,” Kidd said, alluding to the Feb. 8, 2024 deal that brought Washington from Charlotte.

“Ask him to guard the point guard. Ask him to guard the five. He’s a team player. He’s a pro. He’s all about winning. So ask him to come off the bench or starting, he’s [about] whatever the team needs. We’re lucky to have someone like that.”

This is the second time in Washington’s relatively short Dallas tenure that he’s been asked to potentially make a playing concession.

For most of his 390-game NBA career, of which he has started 320 times, Washington primarily has played power forward — 75% of the time, according to basketballreference.com’s year-by-year estimates.

Prior to last season Washington had never played more than 3% of his minutes at small forward, but last year 12% of his minutes were at that position. Most of that occurred after Anthony Davis arrived in the shocking Feb. 1 trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

After the Mavericks’ season collapsed beneath an avalanche of injuries, the May 12 NBA Draft Lottery shockingly brought another “move over, P.J.” moment: Despite 1.8% odds, Dallas won the lottery and the ability to draft 6-foot-9 Flagg.

Yet when Flagg visited Dallas before the June draft, Washington was among half-a-dozen Mavericks veterans who took the 18-year-old out to dinner. The following day, as they watched Flagg work out for about 75 minutes, Harrison recalled this conversation with Washington.

Harrison: “Hey, P.J., you think you guys can play together?”

Washington: “Oh, yeah, we can play together.”

If anything, playing with Flagg during training camp and in preseason games has only heightened Washington’s enthusiasm. Here’s his evaluation of Flagg as a point guard, though in reality Kidd says Flagg would be more of a point-forward.

“Just so much versatility,” Washington said. “He can do pretty much everything on the offensive end. Obviously he has great size for the position. He can shoot well. He makes the right plays.

“For an 18-year-old to be able to do that is unheard of, so obviously he’s a special player.”

And if Flagg starts at forward and D’Angelo Russell or Ryan Nembhard starts at point guard? Even though that would mean him coming off the bench, Washington sees playing with the second unit as a win-win.

“I get weaker defenders,” he said with a smile, “so it’s a plus.”

On Twitter/X: @townbrad

Dallas Mavericks exercise team option on Dereck Lively II for 2026-27 season