P.J. Washington may force Mavericks to scrap their expected starting five

It was clear that the Dallas Mavericks would have a logjam in the frontcourt as soon as they drafted Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as he plays the same position as P.J. Washington. The Mavs traded for Washington at the 2024 trade deadline, and if he plays well to begin the 2025-26 season, he'll force Jason Kidd to rethink the team's depth chart and overall rotation.

As things stand now, it seems most likely that Dallas' starting lineup will be D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford to begin the regular season, but Washington excelling in his role could quickly force Kidd to consider that starting five. Dallas has seven players who are all capable of starting to begin the regular season, and Kidd is going to have his hands full when he's building his units.

The main question among Mavericks fans this summer when it comes to lineups has been who will start between Washington and Thompson, and while Thompson seems like he'll be needed for his shooting, Washington may play so well that he forces Kidd's hand to start him. The Mavericks also just handed Washington a massive four-year extension, and they could want to give him as much run as possible with the starters to ensure he gels with the new-look core.

P.J. Washington may prove to be too good to bench

Last season for Dallas, Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from downtown. Washington was the glue that held the Mavs together, even during tough times following the Luka Doncic trade, and his impact on both ends of the floor is unmatched. His growth as a leader also can't go unnoticed, and he became someone whom the Mavs couldn't live without.

Washington's ability to defend players bigger or smaller than him, stretch the floor, and play with physicality has made him an invaluable piece of Kidd's rotation ever since he arrived, and if he takes another step in his game next season, Kidd could be forced to start him.

The Mavericks may be rolling out their big lineup before anyone would've expected it, and this could all be due to Washington proving that he's too good a player to come off the bench. He is undoubtedly a top 100 player in the NBA entering his seventh season in the league, and Kidd may quickly find out that he needs to be in the starting lineup.

If Kidd does end up rethinking his starting lineup because Washington is playing so well, the starting five could look something like Russell, Flagg, Washington, Davis, and Lively II or Gafford, and the Mavericks would have one of the biggest starting fives in the NBA. Their defense would be incredible, as Flagg, Washington, Davis, and Lively II are all known for their defense, and teams would have an extremely hard time scoring on them, especially around the bucket.

Flagg, Washington, Davis, and Lively II could all end up averaging over a block per game, and Kidd is going to have some tough starting lineup decisions to make if Washington is playing at an elite level, and or Thompson struggles. Washington's potential inclusion in this lineup may all depend on his 3-point shooting, and if he can keep up the efficiency that he displayed last season, Kidd will have no choice but to start him.

Washington is known as one of the hardest workers on the team, and after seeing how much he improved after the 2023-24 season, he could take another massive leap this offseason. Having too much depth is a great problem for Kidd to have, and the Mavs' starting lineup could look much different from what everyone expects.