DHJ Quick Take: Could the Mavericks Trade P.J. Washington to the Thunder?
A cap-strapped Oklahoma City offseason has prompted speculation about whether Dallas could move P.J. Washington there, though the framework faces real obstacles on both salary and asset value.
- Why would the Thunder consider it? Oklahoma City needs to shed salary ahead of a second-apron crunch driven by the Holmgren and Williams extensions.
- What would a deal look like? The likeliest path is a multiplayer swap built around trade candidates Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins rather than a Dort-for-Washington one-for-one.
- What could Dallas target back? Young guard Nikola Topić, the No. 12 pick in 2024, is an upside swing if the Mavericks attach draft capital.
- What is the catch? Washington’s four-year extension through 2029-30 adds long-term money, which cuts against Oklahoma City’s cap motivation.
The NBA offseason is almost here. There are only two teams in the postseason. Every other fanbase around the league is thinking about what their team should do this summer.
Even the Oklahoma City Thunder has questions to answer. They were favorites to defend their 2024-25 NBA title heading into the season, but it didn’t go that way. The Thunder lost to the San Antonio Spurs in a gritty seven-game Western Conference finals.
Now they need to think about their cap sheet and roster construction. As such, some rumors have linked them to Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington.
Is there a route to get him to the Thunder?
Mechanics of a P.J. Washington Trade
There are a few deal permutations that could make sense. There are also many factors to consider. To begin with, we need to look at Dallas’ needs as well as the Thunder’s.
The Mavericks need youth and future draft capital. The Thunder have plenty of each to spare, but their willingness to part with either to bring in Washington is questionable. Unfortunately, he’s coming off a down year in which he shot just 32.5% from long-range.
Washington is a role player. His positional versatility is valuable, but if he isn’t spacing the floor, he’s only worth so much. Who would the Thunder part with to land him?
The simplest answer is Luguentz Dort. He has a team option this summer. The Thunder could decline it and look to sign-and-trade him for Washington. That doesn’t solve their cap issues on its own, but it does help them kick the can. The wrinkle is Washington’s deal: he signed a four-year, $90 million extension last September that runs through 2029-30, so taking him on is less about kicking the can than committing to him long-term.
Rumors indicate that the Thunder would like to move on from Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, who fell out of their playoff rotation this year. They could see some value in aggregating the duo for one player in Washington, who’d be easier to move later.
These are options. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which the Thunder give up any draft capital for Washington, because they don’t have a comparable paid player who’s meaningfully less valuable.
That said, if the Mavericks were willing to attach draft capital, there’s an interesting player they could target.
Dallas Mavericks Could Pursue Young Oklahoma City Thunder Guard
Nikola Topić was a lottery pick at 12th overall, but he hasn’t seen lottery minutes. He managed just 2.4 minutes per game in this year’s postseason.
Topić has accomplished something more meaningful than anything that happens on the basketball floor. He beat cancer. His long-term outlook is reportedly highly optimistic. Still, it’s hard to see his pathway to playing time on a stacked Thunder team.
If the Mavs were willing to attach even modest second-round draft capital, they may be able to flip Washington for Dort and Topić. Taking a flyer on a 20-year-old 6’6″ point guard with outstanding floor vision would be an excellent choice. This one is a long shot, but if the Thunder are open to moving Topić, the Mavericks would have to explore that scenario.
Luckily, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out what they might do.
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