The Dallas Mavericks are gearing up for a playoff push.
The Mavs are acquiring forward P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, per multiple reports. Dallas will send the Hornets forward Grant Williams, guard Seth Curry and a first-round pick in the deal.
Washington, 25, was averaging 13.6 points per game for Charlotte this season. Williams, also 25, signed a four-year deal with the Mavericks last summer, but is already on his way out of town.
Let’s grade the deal for both sides.
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Mavericks: C+
Hmmm. I understand this move for Dallas more than I celebrate it. Washington undoubtedly has a higher ceiling as an individual talent than Williams. He’s a better scorer and more versatile offensively. That’s great! On the other hand, even though Williams very quickly fell out of favor with the Mavs, he was a better fit on paper. Isn’t Williams the exact kind of player Dallas needed around Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving? A rugged defender who could guard multiple positions, knock down open threes and has vast playoff experience? Washington has no postseason experience, and while he has potential defensively, he isn’t the pest on that end of the floor Williams is. A first-round pick is a somewhat steep price to pay for someone who seems like a slightly worse fit.
Washington is definitely talented, though. Perhaps playing alongside such high-end talent pushes him up another level. And as much as I loved the Williams fit on paper, in practice he seemingly wasn’t providing enough of what Dallas wanted him to. For now, I still feel the Mavs would be better served in the playoffs with a player who is more proven in that arena.
Related: Report: Hornets Acquire Seth Curry, Grant Williams From Mavericks
Hornets: B
I don’t know why Charlotte felt the need to give up on Washington, but this is a decent return. Williams is the same age and can be a nice role player for whatever the core is moving forward. And he at least brings an expectation of winning this organization has seemingly lacked. At worst, he’ll be valued by contenders which means the Hornets will have the option to gather more for him if they decide to go for a full teardown. A future first is always valuable in our draft asset obsessed culture, especially when added to the one the team picked up for Terry Rozier. And Curry is a hometown hero, so that’s nice. If the team was so determined to move off Washington, this is fairly solid maneuvering.
