Dallas Mavericks emerge as favorites to trade for Hornets forward

Noah Weber

Milwaukee Bucks v Charlotte Hornets / Jacob Kupferman/GettyImages

After last night's victory over the Orlando Magic, the Dallas Mavericks are 26-21 and are the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Dallas battled back from being down by 16 points at halftime, and this win showed Dallas' resiliency. The Mavs' defense was excellent in the third quarter, and this win was massive for the Mavs.

Although Dallas had a great win last night, it's still clear they must make some type of upgrade at the trade deadline if they want to contend in the Western Conference.

Dallas Mavericks emerge as favorites to trade for Hornets forward

The Mavs reportedly want to upgrade at the power forward position, and they have shown interest in several fours, including Jerami Grant and Kyle Kuzma. Dallas has also shown interest in Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington, and the Mavs are the betting favorites to land him, according to Gambling.com.

According to Gambling.com, the Mavs have +150 odds to land Washington, while the Hornets have +275 odds to retain him. As the odds stand now, Washington has a better chance of landing in Dallas than him staying in Charlotte.

Washington would be a great fit in Dallas and now could be the perfect time for the Mavs to trade for him. This season for the Hornets, Washington is averaging 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from downtown.

He can play both the power forward and center position, and his defense would be a big step up for the Mavs. Washington can guard multiple positions, play solid defense in the post when needed, and has good enough footwork to switch onto guards.

Washington is the type of player that the Mavs need at the four, and fans have been pushing for the team to make a move for him since the summer. The Mavs were not interested in him over the summer, but this deadline could be different.

For all the latest news and rumors on the Dallas Mavericks and their potential pursuit of P.J. Washington, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.