Mavericks' P.J. Washington trade could spiral into a nightmare faster than expected

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for P.J. Washington at the 2024 trade deadline, it was a move that fans loved right from the jump. Mavericks fans were begging for Nico Harrison to sign Washington the summer before, as he was a restricted free agent, and they were thrilled that they could bring him in to help with their playoff push.

In order to get Washington to Dallas, the Mavericks sent the Charlotte Hornets Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a 2027 first-round pick. This deal was undoubtedly worth it when it went down, as Washington's toughness, defense, and 3-point shooting helped lead the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals while Williams and Curry were marginal losses, but everything has changed without Luka Doncic in Dallas.

Washington and Doncic seemed to get along great as teammates, as they were both a part of Dallas' starting five, and Washington would always stand up for Doncic when needed, but the direction of the team completely shifted when Harrison decided to send Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.

Real damage of Washington trade could swing Charlotte's way soo

With Davis now in Dallas, Washington has been forced to play small forward rather than power forward when the roster is fully healthy, and his long-term fit at that position is questionable. While Washington could end up being able to figure it out at the three rather than the four, the biggest question mark of the Mavs' Washington trade is yet to be seen.

With the Mavericks sending the Hornets their 2027 first-round pick, this didn't seem too risky at the time, as Doncic held the keys to the franchise, and anytime that he was on the floor, Dallas had a chance to contend for a title. With Doncic leading the way, Dallas was virtually a lock for the playoffs every season, regardless of who was on the floor with him, but that isn't the case anymore.

The Mavericks are in a rough spot heading into next season as the team wasn't necessarily great when Davis was on the floor at the end of the season and Kyrie Irving was out due to his ACL tear, and due to Dallas' cap situation, the team they trot out for next season will probably look quite similar to the team that ended this regular season. Harrison thinks the Mavs will be contending for a title next season, even with Irving not returning until December or potentially later.

But if they don't contend for a title within the next year or two, Dallas' future outlook looks bleak as ever, and that includes future implications of the Washington trade.

Dallas' 2027 first-round pick likely went from a pick that would be in the 20s to a pick that is in serious danger of being a lottery pick with the direction the franchise is heading, and it all depends on what Patrick Dumont and Harrison decide to do.

If Dumont were to fire Harrison, that would likely start an all-out rebuild, and that is the exact thing the Hornets would want since they own the Mavs' 2027 first-round pick. Dallas would probably be one of the worst teams in the NBA if they were to fire Harrison and consequently trade Kyrie Irving and Davis to rebuild, and they wouldn't even have their own draft pick to be able to pull them out of that nightmare situation.

Harrison trading Doncic after making countless moves to build around him was the worst possible trade he could have made, and they'll start having to live with the consequences, starting with the 2027 NBA Draft. They don't own their own pick in that draft, along with the following three drafts, and fans will realize how delicate their situation is if they are forced to go into a rebuild and have to cough up an extremely valuable first-round pick to Charlotte in just over two years.

Every possible outcome must be considered when analyzing the Mavs' potential future endeavors, and the Washington trade could end up getting more dicey than ever expected soon.