Never mind Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant, it seems like the Mavericks might be the face of the off-season. They were destined to be doomed after Luka Doncic left town reluctantly. But the stars just aligned for them in the draft lottery. Suddenly, the 1.8% chance paid off. And the Cooper Flagg dream is still on. But that does put the writing on the wall for some of the rest? Namely, PJ Washington.

It looks like Washington is slowly losing his significance in Dallas. There’s no doubt about the talent. But once Flagg joins the team, where will Jason Kidd fit the 26-year-old power forward? Coming off the bench? Very unlikely for someone as good as him. With Anthony Davis on the team, he can’t even play power forward. And there is no chance of benching Klay Thompson and starting at shooting guard. And Flagg? Well, the potential overall No.1 pick is a Day 1 starter and is always gonna be the spearhead of the Mavs’ attack. Which leaves Washington collecting dust behind the scenes.

Well, the entire Dallas fan base adores Washington. A two-way player who can shoot the threes, drive to the hole, and even contribute to the offense at times. But despite being a potential starter, Washington will always be in the shadow of Flagg, Davis, Irving, and Thompson. Isaac Harris of Locked on Mavericks discussed exactly the same thing, that he does not see Washington fitting into this super team, in his latest video.

“You bring in Anthony Davis. It’s okay. PJ normally plays the four. Anthony Davis really wants to play the four. The Mavs already have two centers. So PJ moves down to the three. Then they get Cooper Flagg. Now, what happens to PJ Washington? Is he coming off the bench? Is Cooper Flagg playing the two like Jason Kidd has suggested that he may play the two? Probably not full-time. PJ’s not playing the two either. And so now, honestly, I’m looking at PJ Washington as a bench player for this Mavericks team, even though he’ll probably close games,” said Isaac Harris on Locked On Mavericks.

By the way, this goes for Daniel Gafford, too. They’re insanely important for their rotation. But it’s crazy how much one person can change the whole landscape of your career. They’re also in the final years of their contracts, after which they both become UFAs. So, where will they go? Turns out that there’s actually a team that might benefit from both. And Mavs’ Cooper Flagg dream might do the same for the Lakers, again.

Cooper Flagg’s introduction might send PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford to the Lakers

Let’s face it – the Mavs retaining Gafford and Washington both is out of the realm. And Doncic’s trade means sending another star to the Lakers may prove controversial, especially if that player proves a success. What’s funnier is that both fit the profile of what the Lakers need right now. And if the Mavs are really looking to trade either, PJ Washington’s the guy to stay.

“That’s because I think his position and what he brings, even if he has to come off the bench, but I don’t think like, I think you have to, you have to have players like PJ Washington to win at a high level and he’s fit here and done everything you can, you’ve asked of him. And he’s going to be 27 next year. I’m not giving away PJ Washington. I’m not even trying to trade him,” said Harris on the pod.

In this scenario, the Dallas Mavericks would also be getting the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick and Dalton Knecht, who was Los Angeles’s first-round selection last season. Knecht is a decent rotational option for a lesser price than either.

Even Jovan Buha believes the Mavs should stick to Daniel Gafford. “I know Shams has danced around this topic a little bit where he’s shared when he’s talked about the Luka trade that he was hearing in the days leading into it that there was some Lakers-Mavericks buzz. And I had not heard that at the time. Uh, but since then, and now always after a trade, people will open up and share things. In some of the people I’ve talked to since then, there has been the around the league, there was some chatter, a little bit of buzz of the Lakers and Mavericks working on something. No one thought it was Luca, and people thought it was Daniel Gafford,” said Buha.

Cooper Flagg playing such a major role even before playing his first game in the league is astounding. and may just speak of his future Hall of Fame pedigree. But that pedigree might just bring a doubt into the futures of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford’s careers. Will the Lakers swoop in?