Mavericks trade for Hornets' P.J. Washington
This season, P.J. Washington has established himself as a reliable scorer for the Hornets.
Dallas continues to bolster its frontcourt as it enters the final weeks of the 2023-24 season.
The Mavs have worked out a trade to acquire Hornets forward P.J. Washington from the Hornets for Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a first-round pick. Dallas also closed on a trade that netted them Wizards center Daniel Gafford.
Mavs receive:
- P.J. Washington
- 2024-second-round pick
- 2028 second-round pick
Hornets receive:
- Grant Williams
- Seth Curry
- 2027 first-round pick
What trade means for Mavs: Dallas (28-23) is No. 8 in the Western Conference playoff chase, but just two games behind the Phoenix Suns (30-21) and New Orleans Pelicans (30-21) for the No. 5 and 6 seeds, respectively.
One issue keeping the Mavs from climbing the ranks has been its play around the basket, particularly in rebounding and defense. Dallas is No. 25 in rebounds per game (41.5) and allows 45.6 points in the paint, which ranks 28th.
In adding Washington (as well as Gafford), the Mavs are hopefully addressing those issues. Washington is averaging 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season, shooting 44.6% overall and 32.4% on 3-pointers. He should slot into a regular role in Dallas’ rotation and provide scoring and rebounding in the paint, as well as some defense.
The Mavericks, in their pursuit to return to the playoffs after last year’s miss, have added to their frontcourt. This comes at a time when star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are back in good health and playing together again.
What trade means for Hornets: Charlotte has been one of the busiest teams in trades this season, which isn’t unexpected given the team’s 10-40 record. Earlier on trade deadline day, the Hornets agreed to deal veteran Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which came weeks after the team dealt guard Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat.
Williams was a high-profile acquisition for the Mavs last summer and made a swift impact this season in Dallas. However, even though he has recorded stats (8.1 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game) comparable to his 2022-23 performance with the Boston Celtics (8.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game), his overall output has significantly declined.
Curry, a seasoned player, is returning to his home state to play for the same franchise his father, Dell, shone for in the 1990s. This season, he has been averaging 4.3 points per game and 1.4 rebounds per game, with a 3-point shooting average of 36.2%.
Curry and Williams, who both played high school basketball in Charlotte, are returning home.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
