Mavericks may have to trade a fan favorite because of Cooper Flagg

It was beginning to seem like a foregone conclusion that P.J. Washington couldn't fit alongside Cooper Flagg long-term as the Dallas Mavericks' 2025-26 season trekked along, but Washington put together a great end of the season alongside Flagg in Dallas, which raises questions over if this line of thinking is correct. Washington is one of Dallas' most coveted trade chips, but his close to the season challenges the notion that he and Flagg overlap too much.

A huge part of Washington fitting alongside Flagg better was the fact that Washington improved his shooting drastically over the last month or two of the season. Washington shot 36.2 percent from downtown during March, which was a far better shooting percentage from distance compared to any other month of the season for him.

Not being spoon-fed open looks from elite playmakers like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic definitely had to have had some effect on his shooting percentage dipping this past season, but in March, he proved he wasn't solely reliant on elite playmakers to shoot well from outside.

Mavericks don't have a clear choice with trading or keeping Washington

Adding Irving and potentially another point guard from this year's draft could do huge dividends for Washington getting better looks again, and he's proved to be a mismatch from outside when he plays at the five. However, for Dallas to get the most out of Washington's contract extension signed last year, they have to hope he isn't as injury-riddled next season.

Washington will be in the first year of a four-year $90 million contract, and he'll be due $19.8 million next season, so Dallas could really open up the trade market for him if they wanted to get a smaller wing or guard who would theoretically fit next to Flagg better. However, Washington's tenacity has led him to become a fan-favorite in Dallas, and there's a good chance he has a bounce-back season next year, especially since Dallas will be far more talented.

In conclusion, it's tough to say which course of action the Mavericks should take with Washington, as he put enough solid tape into existence next to Flagg to give promise to them being able to work together, yet would yield some of the best value out of anyone on the roster if Dallas is looking to make a trade this summer or in-season.

There are pros and cons to either decision Dallas makes

Defensively, it's not a crutch to have two long wings in the starting lineup that can defend multiple positions like Flagg and Washington can, but Dallas was abysmal shooting-wise this past season, and that's where the primary concern in keeping Washington lies.

Whether Dallas keeps or trades Washington will likely come down to how much they can address their shooting issue through the draft and free agency this summer, as well as how they start next season. Trading him during the summer would be more of a risky proposition, but it's certainly on the table if they want to go in that direction.

Washington has been a true professional since being in Dallas, and has stayed committed to the organization through triumph and pitfalls, so losing him would suck from a continuity perspective. This clearly isn't an easy decision for the Mavericks, especially without a head GM in practice at the moment, so waiting is the best course of action right now, until a more definitive direction is decided by the new GM.

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