Mavericks made their stance on P.J. Washington crystal clear

The Dallas Mavericks are back in position to contend in the Western Conference once again, but there's still some question marks regarding who's going to be a long-term fixture on this roster and who isn't. As for P.J. Washington, signs seem to indicate that he's being viewed by the front office as more expendable than others.

We're over halfway through the offseason at this point, and the Mavs have not cleared playing time. If anything, they further buried him on their depth chart when they drafted Cooper Flagg. Daniel Gafford was extended for three years and $54 million. The Mavs have Anthony Davis locked in at the four, and Dereck Lively II is their long-term answer at the five. Washington isn't extension-eligible until Aug. 29, but the front office is tipping its feelings to fans.

The Gafford extension would appear to be a relatively clear indicator that the Mavericks view the big man as more of a priority at the moment than Washington. Dallas may still cook up a new contract for P.J. down the road, but I'm not sure how certain I would feel about that happening.

As of right now, Washington is headed into the final season of his three-year deal that he signed with the Charlotte Hornets back in August of 2023. The $48 million pact was a front-loaded contract designed to be tradeable, with P.J.'s salary slightly decreasing in each season of the deal.

The Mavs crowded frontcourt makes P.J. Washington expendable

Washington earned that extension after his fourth professional season in 2022-23, which was arguably still the best campaign of his career. It was a season where Miles Bridges wasn't playing in Charlotte, which gave Washington the perfect chance to step in and thrive as a full-time starting power forward.

When P.J. first arrived in Dallas a year and a half ago, there was understandable hype for bringing him on. Not only was Washington the classic case of an under-appreciated three-and-D guy getting a change of scenery, but he's also a hometown guy who played high school ball in Dallas. Throw in his crucial role during the Mavs' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, and it was looking like number 25 would be in town for the long haul.

It's not like that can't still happen now, but Dallas is just in a bit of a different situation than they were at this time a year ago. With Cooper Flagg now a central part of this team's future direction, the Mavericks might feel there's now ways they can benefit more by dealing away Washington than by keeping him. When roster needs shift drastically, it has a way of changing things in a hurry.

Time will tell all with this situation. But if the Mavs' move to prioritize Gafford's extension this summer is any indicator, P.J. Washington may not be in Dallas beyond next season.