During the February 8 NBA trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks traded Grant Williams, Seth Cury, and their 2027 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets and acquired PJ Washington alongside two second-round draft picks. What was PJ Washington doing when he got the news of his arrival to the Mavericks? He was winding down in a restaurant. Upon learning about the trade, the Power Forward was over the moon at the prospect of playing alongside superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
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He had a sleepless night because of boundless excitement as he finally made it to a winning situation. During his inductive press conference for the Dallas Mavericks, PJ Washington expressed his elation about joining the franchise. The Forward recalled his immediate reaction to the news that he had been traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
“I[PJ Washington] literally jumped out of the restaurant and ran to the car. I was just excited. I have never been more excited and I couldn’t sleep. Now, I’m just ready to start playing,” recollected PJ Washington.
PJ Washington on when he got traded to the Mavs:
He was in a resteraunt, ran out, and was so excited. Says he couldn’t sleep and can’t wait to get started. pic.twitter.com/5mcsvBnzin
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) February 10, 2024
Apart from Washington, the Dallas Mavericks also traded for Daniel Gafford, who had spent multiple seasons with the Washington Wizards. Both Gafford and Washington were seen entering the Dallas Mavericks practice facility. As they entered, someone asked them how happy they were to play for the Mark Cuban-owned franchise.
To which all all-smiles Washington replied, “Super happy! I’m excited. Can’t wait to play.” Gafford added, “Ready to get this work in.” Both players looked pumped up for their brand new chapter alongside Kai and Doncic.
Your newest Mavs are in the building #MFFL pic.twitter.com/QOlUYCpjtV
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 10, 2024
For the Dallas Mavericks, the Washington trade was killing two birds with a stone. They acquired a versatile scoring forward and traded someone they wanted away from the team.
Dallas Mavericks wanted to part ways with Grant Williams
To acquire Grant Williams in the 2023 offseason, the Mavericks had given up an unprotected 2030 first-round draft pick to the San Antonio Spurs. During the 2023-24 season, Williams tallied 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Mavs. He was constantly scoring in single digits, was an inconsistent rebounder and didn’t do enough on the defense to cover up. Therefore, the management felt underwhelmed after trading a crucial future asset.
As per ESPN reporter Tim Macmahon, The Mavs wanted to send Grant Williams elsewhere because he had “rubbed them the wrong way”. It indicates that the Mavericks didn’t find Williams’ attitude consistent with their goals. On The Hoops Collective podcast, Macmahon touched upon the PJ Washington-Grant Williams exchange.
“The fact that they gave up a 2030 swap for Grant Williams and then dumped him as soon as they possibly could, they were determined to dump him. It’s not just getting P.J. Washington. They wanted to be out of the Grant Williams business. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way,” disclosed Tim Macmahon
Macmahon’s revelation hints that the Mavs wanted to bring some positive energy to the locker room. Washington is both an offensive and defensive upgrade over Williams and would be pumped up to contribute. Bringing in Gafford also gives the team a frontline depth that they have craved since the beginning of the decade. These two can help the Mavs form a much more formidable two-way attack.
