P.J. Washington's record-breaking moment sends clear message to Mavs' front office

In the Dallas Mavericks' last game of 2024, they fell to the Sacramento Kings on the road by a score of 110-100 on Monday night.

The Mavericks were short-handed as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, and Dante Exum were all out for this matchup. Fans knew that Monday night's game was going to be an uphill battle going into it, but Dallas made things interesting for most of the game.

With the loss, the Dallas Mavericks are now 20-13 on the season and are still the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

The story of the night for Mavericks fans was the unbelievable first-quarter performance by P.J. Washington in which he scored the most points he ever has in a quarter since joining the Mavs. He finished the first quarter with 19 points and shot a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc. Washington also scored 16 consecutive points for his team and looked unstoppable.

Washington's first quarter shows he should be untouchable in trade talks

After returning to the lineup due to the one-game suspension he was given for being involved in the Phoenix Suns altercation, Washington finished the night with 28 points, which is also a season-high for him.

This season, Washington is also shooting a career-high 39.4 percent from the 3-point line and has proven to the Mavericks organization that he should be a long-term piece for them moving forward. His improved shooting has been major for Dallas this season, and defenses are having a hard time figuring out who to leave open since Doncic, Irving, and Thompson are all deadly shooters as well.

There should be no scenario, no package, or deal that ever has Washington's name in it. The Mavericks are 1-6 in games that he doesn't play in this season, which gives another key reason as to why he's so crucial for this team and the most important player.

The versatility that Washington brings to the floor is unmatched compared to the majority of players in the NBA. His ability to guard all five positions at an elite level and also improve his offensive game to where he's not just known to be a 3-and-D player for Dallas has been so beneficial.

Washington, who's only 26 years old, fits in perfectly with the young core of Doncic and Lively II. We've seen dynasties in the past like the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics build up their young core together to develop an absurd amount of chemistry. Both of those teams have proven that by doing that, there's a higher probability of winning an NBA championship. Winning the NBA Finals is Washington and the Mavericks' main goal, and they are laying the framework to do that soon with everything they are doing right now.

Many would say that the one hole in the Mavericks' roster is the backup position for Washington. With the poor injury luck Dallas has been dealing with lately, it would be nice to not have to overly rely on Washington to suit up every game in order for the Mavericks to win.

Washington has yet to be brought up in any trade rumors this season and everyone should expect for it to stay that way in the future. What Washington brings to the Mavericks is invaluable, and if his scoring outburst in which he broke a personal record against the Kings proved anything, it should be that Dallas must prioritize keeping him in Big D.