Mavericks' Morez Johnson Jr. dilemma makes a P.J. Washington trade more likely

The Dallas Mavericks surprised many fans with the No. 9 overall pick in the NBA Draft by selecting Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. Given that he plays a similar position to fan favorite P.J. Washington, this move might spell the end of Washington's time in Dallas, as the Mavs could look to trade him to prioritize Johnson Jr.'s development and allow Morez to grow alongside Cooper Flagg.

Dusty May will likely want to start Morez Johnson Jr. immediately

As many Mavericks fans know by now, the new head coach of the Mavs — Dusty May — also coached Morez Johnson Jr. last year at Michigan when they won the National Championship together. Much to the delight of the Mavs' first-round pick, they will be reunited in Dallas now as Johnson Jr. jokingly called himself May's favorite of the three prospects drafted from Michigan. This connection between the two will likely cause May to start Morez over P.J. Washington at power forward.

It's a clear dilemma that May will need to solve, as Johnson Jr. should start after being the No. 9 overall pick. He's poised to be a long-term piece next to Flagg, and it only makes sense that he gets used to playing next to the former Duke Blue Devil.

Starting Morez would also be a great decision to develop him as quickly as possible. The Mavericks front office likely had a vision of an ultra-defensive frontcourt comprised of Morez, Flagg, and Dereck Lively II. Bringing a guy like P.J. Washington, who's getting paid around $22 million annually, off the bench doesn't make much sense for him or the Mavericks, which is why a trade for the forward seems like even more of a possibility.

P.J. Washington has already been in trade rumors

Of Dallas' veterans, Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, and P.J. Washington have been reported as rumored trade candidates. With the Mavs using their No. 9 pick on a player who plays almost the same exact position as Washington, it makes more sense to try to trade him for players that fill more pressing needs.

Another likely reason that P.J. Washington has been in trade discussions is due to him not being the best on-court fit with Cooper Flagg. While last year is difficult to use as an evaluation metric since the Mavs were tanking toward the end of the season and Kyrie Irving missed the entire season, the fact of the matter is that Washington had his worst season as a Maverick.

The front office has made it clear that Flagg is the centerpiece of this roster now, and keeping someone on a big contract that doesn't fit too well with their franchise cornerstone wouldn't make much sense. Washington can definitely still provide value to the Mavs with his size and shooting, but if last season was any indication, then trading him might be the right move.

Trading P.J. Washington is by no means necessary for the Dallas Mavericks, especially if they aren't able to find good value for him. However, given the current state of the Mavericks roster with Morez Johnson Jr. in the mix and the questionable fit next to Cooper Flagg, Mavs fans may need to prepare to say goodbye to the key trade acquisition that helped them reach the NBA Finals just two seasons ago.

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