Mavericks triple down on Nico Harrison's risky philosophy with PJ Washington decision

Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison made it clear as day that he wanted to emphasize defense when he got rid of Luka Doncic. Of course, fans were never pleased with the move, but this is clearly Harrison making a generational change within the Mavs organization. He used his controversial closed-door press conference to further explain why Doncic was traded.

His philosophy, in his mind, was simple. "Defense wins championships." That's why he made the move to sign P.J. Washington to a four-year, $90 million extension until the end of the 2029-30 season. It's great to see that Washington is here to stay, but it further complicates his big man logjam that's been a problem since the Doncic trade. Harrison clearly wanted to dominate with size, and this move further proves that.

There was a chance that Washington or Daniel Gafford wouldn't be in a Mavs uniform anymore this summer, as they needed guard depth, but the Washington extension is Harrison putting his money right where his mouth is. It's just a matter of executing his own plan on the court. The Mavs have plenty of opportunities to bring in a ton of big lineups out there. With Anthony Davis expressing his wish to play at power forward, this only brings the question of where Washington will play.

P.J. Washington extension sparks new Mavericks big-man dilemma

Signing Washington is great, but it doesn't solve how Jason Kidd will manage everybody's minutes. There seemed to be some potential trouble brewing about Klay Thompson's future role, thanks to Jason Kidd looking to favor Cooper Flagg at shooting guard and Washington at small forward. This could be a death lineup to really bring the best of the Mavs both offensively and defensively.

Even though Washington is 6-foot-6, he's mostly played at power forward during his time with Dallas, but Washington playing at the three isn't bad news at all, as most guys his height are playing that position anyway. Flagg should be a natural at playing two through four, so this kind of change wouldn't affect him as much as others.

This is exactly what Harrison wanted all along.

The 2022-23 season probably gave him nightmares with horrible depth at the big man position during that time, and now, securing Washington is just another piece to his puzzle. This almost ensures that Washington would play some small forward with Lively II and Gafford switching out at the big man position. Some fans might deem this as unfair to Gafford, but as we know, he's not quite untouchable either, even after signing a deal of his own.

This Washington signing is pretty clear to Harrison's defensive philosophy. He wants size, but he also wants defense. Defensively, Washington is fairly solid, averaging over a block and a steal last season and providing excellent versatility. He's improved defensively and shooting the ball in his tenure with Dallas, as he used to just drive in the paint and score during his days with the Charlotte Hornets. This is a great signing for fans, but a risk by Harrison for the depth of the Mavericks.

Washington is a local, and this signing secures his future in his hometown. Harrison's philosophy is a boom or bust, but sticking with his big guys for the future shows exactly what he imagined in the first place when he traded Doncic away.