PJ Washington’s place in Dallas’ revamped forward rotation is the key question heading into 2026-27

The Dallas Mavericks have entered a new phase of roster evaluation, and the central question for many fans is how PJ Washington fits into a “new-look” set of forwards. The issue is not whether Washington can play, but where he slots best among a growing group of players with overlapping responsibilities, particularly on the defensive end and in the half-court against top wing talent.

Washington was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets with the intent, at the time, of building around Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving for championship contention. According to Yahoo Sports’ breakdown published Oct. 12, that plan looked more solid as the season progressed, culminating in Washington earning a prominent role during Dallas’ NBA Finals run. In that postseason stretch, Washington started for the Mavericks and averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while also being used to defend the opponent’s best forward.

What made Washington’s contribution more than just box-score production was the efficiency and shot-making profile described in the report. Yahoo Sports pointed to Washington’s output in Dallas’ second-round series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, noting that he went 23-of-49 from the field, a 47% clip. That matters because second-round opponents typically game-plan heavily for secondary offensive contributors, and Washington’s ability to hold up as a rotational scoring option and a steady defensive presence becomes more valuable as matchups tighten.

The upcoming evaluation period is therefore as much about role definition as it is about talent. Dallas has to decide whether Washington should be treated as a first-call starter when the Mavericks want size and wing defense, or whether he becomes a situational forward who can be matched to specific opponents depending on spacing needs, rebounding demands, and who the Mavericks expect to face on the perimeter every night.

Another layer to the fit question is the current NBA forward landscape, where teams increasingly carry multiple players who can switch on defense and can punish mismatches offensively. In that environment, a player’s value is often measured by how seamlessly he integrates with the team’s primary creation. The Yahoo Sports piece frames Washington’s importance as tied to his ability to contribute in the same playoff situations where Dallas needed stability, including against a Thunder team that pushed Dallas through a demanding matchup.

As the Mavericks move through the 2026-27 season, the practical tests for Washington’s role will likely come in three areas: the defensive assignments the coaching staff asks him to handle, the number of minutes he receives in lineup combinations that feature more or less spacing, and how consistently he can generate offense without becoming overextended by opposing defenders. Those are the kinds of coaching decisions that reveal whether a “fit” is simply leftover chemistry from a prior run, or a durable plan for the new season.

For now, Washington’s postseason résumé gives Dallas a baseline to build on. The question is whether Dallas’ forward rotation, in its current form, still needs Washington in the exact same mold that helped carry the Mavericks deep into the playoffs, or whether he must adapt to a slightly altered hierarchy. Either answer can work, but it will shape the Mavericks’ ceiling if their matchups hinge on wing defense and rebound support from the second unit or the front line.