DALLAS — P.J. Washington is in the mix for a starting spot because he can play multiple positions, Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May said Thursday after the fifth practice of training camp. On Wednesday, May said he cannot see Dallas settling on a starting five anytime soon.
Since the Mavericks acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets in February 2024, Washington has started 137 of the 142 regular-season games he has played. Back-to-backs and injuries keep any lineup from staying the same over a number of days, according to May, so the coaches have a couple of different groups penciled in.
“I think as coaches, we have a couple different lineups penciled in,” May said. “But obviously, as we’ve learned and are learning, … there’s a lot of inconsistency in the lineup over a number of days based on back-to-backs and injuries. In this rotation, what would this look like versus what would this group look like together? So I haven’t thought of it.”
“I haven’t really studied who has and hasn’t started last year or the year before, because to me that’s so irrelevant anyway. Personally, if I could play five more minutes and not hear my name called, I’d rather play those five extra minutes,” May continued. “Or if I could finish a game versus have my name called and start a lineup, I’d rather finish the game as well. So hopefully we have the mindset that whatever the team needs. But P.J. is certainly in the mix for a starting spot, mostly because he can play multiple positions.”
May said Sunday that Washington’s voice is needed. Four days later, he wants Washington to use it a little more.
“P.J., we’ve gotten a little bit of everything out of P.J. He’s someone that I think can check a lot of boxes,” May explained. “If you wanna play a small lineup, you can play the five. He can play the three for the bigger lineup. But we need his physicality. We need his basketball instincts. He’s a quick thinker. Defensively, he knows what to do at all times. We’ve gotta get him to use his voice a little bit more to share his knowledge with the group, and he’s gonna help us.”
Some lineups will need whoever draws the lesser defender to bring the ball up. Washington is a candidate to do it as a point forward, depending on who is guarding him.
“He shot the ball well in live play,” May said. “He’s making good decisions on and off the ball. And then there’s gonna be lineups with whoever has the lesser defenders that have to bring it up. And P.J. certainly in that mix.”
“A guy that can play the point forward, and it’s all dependent on who’s guarding him and the matchups in that game,” May added. “So, playing as many teams as we play, and as big as the league is, you’re gonna see so many different things. And so you gotta have that optionality.”
May said Washington is a good passer and fights for his teammates.
“He’s done things every day that impress [me]. Like I said, his basketball IQ, he’s a winning player,” May said. “I mean, he fights for his teammates, he has their backs. He’s a good passer. Like I said, he’s a quick thinker. So yeah, we’re excited about P.J. Like I said, he checks a lot of boxes as well.”
Thursday was the first day Dallas went 3-on-3 in camp. May did not evaluate Washington on his own in it.
“Live play. I mean, today’s the first day we’ve done three-on-three, and I didn’t evaluate him per se versus how the teams play and how they function together,” May said. “But the things we worked against today, he was well-versed.”
Dusty May On Max Christie, Naji Marshall, And Morez Johnson Jr.
Max Christie said Sunday that he does not want to be known as just a 3-point shooter, and he wants a bigger two-way role this season. He started the most games at shooting guard for Dallas last season. Christie has a quick first step and great speed, according to May.
“To be known as something, I’d love to be known as a shooter in this game. That’s very important,” May said. “So for him to have that and hang his hat on is extremely important for us in a lot of ways. … But with Max, he has such a quick first step. He’s got great speed. He tries to do everything the team needs him to do, every possession.”
“And then defensively, I think he’s a very underrated defender at the point of attack and off the ball. He plays hard. He’s still young, so the physicality part is improving every year,” May continued. “But to me, Max is trending towards being a complete player.”
Dallas has a number of point-of-attack options because of its size. Cooper Flagg, Zaccharie Risacher, and Naji Marshall were the first names that came to mind for May. On Monday, he said Flagg’s blocks should go up in his second season.
“I mean, because of our size, we have a number of players. I think Coop’s off-ball instincts are so good,” May said. “We probably, if it’s a slow game, we wouldn’t have him at the point of attack as much, just because he can make so many plays away from it. Zach has got to be somebody that plays like that. Naji as well.”
“Naji’s defense, when I think of Naji as a rookie and second-year player, he cut his teeth in the NBA as a junkyard-dog defender, a little bit of everything,” May detailed. “And as he’s expanded his offensive game, his identity has changed a little bit, but he certainly is capable of it. Those are the ones that jumped to my mind at first.”
Marshall set his 3-point target at 45% at media day. Last season, he averaged a career-high 15.2 points and shot 29.1% from three. In 2023-24, his last season in New Orleans, Marshall shot 38.7% from deep on 58-of-150.
A better jumper would force defenders to go over picks and give Marshall even more space to create, May said.
“It opens things up for him. It opens things up for his teammates,” May said. “And with Naji, as good of a passer and creator as he is, his jump shot, if he’s shooting it well enough, they have to go over the picks, and he’s got even more space to create.”
“But Naji, as a primary handler, secondary handler, he’s able to create advantages. And then the jump shot just gives him a whole other dimension,” May noted. “He’s shot it well in New Orleans. He’s had some seasons where he’s shot the ball well enough. And I look forward to watching him continue to improve.”
Morez Johnson Jr. has been limited in camp by lower leg soreness, and Dallas is managing his workload. The ninth overall pick played for May on Michigan’s 2026 national championship team. Johnson had a great summer and a good fall, according to May.
“Morez looks good. He’s eager to obviously be cleared full time, but he’s working back in closer and closer,” May said. “But he’s acclimated well. He had a great summer. He had a good fall. And once again, when he’s on the floor, his impact is felt because of his physicality and intentions.”
Lead assistant Willie Green was the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. Assistant Garrett Temple retired as a player in July after 16 NBA seasons to join May’s staff. May wants their view from both sides.
“I ask Willie and Garrett; they have the most NBA experience on our staff,” May said. “I ask those guys a number of questions every day from the mindset of a player and also from the mindset of a coach, because they’ve done well.”
May has not coached an NBA game yet. The routine is a little different, he said, but he has not been through it.
“Some of the things that it’s reconfirmed is how, because of the reps, because you have to be the best to be here, how smart the players are,” May said. “Other than that, I don’t think I’ve learned anything yet, ’cause we haven’t been through it. I haven’t played a game yet. Obviously, the routine’s a little bit different, but, so I can’t say that I’ve learned a lot yet.”
Some days in practice, the offense is clicking. On others, the defense is stealing the ball, and May said there is no way to tell which side is ahead until Dallas plays someone else.
“It’s so hard to tell. That’s why I love the fact that in the NBA we play games quicker, sooner than later,” May said. “Because we don’t really know enough about ourselves until another team exposes it. And so we’ll know a lot more later on.”
P.J. Washington On Macao, Kyrie Irving, And Morez Johnson Jr.
Washington has missed 51 games over the last two seasons. He played 57 games in 2024-25 and 56 last season, when he averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. At media day, he said the weight room was the biggest thing he wanted to focus on this summer.
“For me, just my biggest emphasis is making sure I’m doing everything, making sure my body’s right each and every day, make sure I come in here at 100% health, and just doing all the little things,” Washington said. “I think for me, the weight room has been very beneficial for me. Try to do something each and every day, and I think that’ll take me a long way.”
Washington shot 32.5% from three last season after shooting 38.1% in 2024-25. His shot was one of three things he worked on beyond his health.
“My shot mechanics, being able to playmake a little better, and just trying to get a good rhythm in the offense and finding my niche, I would say,” Washington explained.
On Thursday, Washington worked on his pull-up. His biggest thing with the shot is staying upright and getting the ball out the same way every time.
“I think it’s great for me and great for the team. If I can hit the three-ball at a consistent rate, it opens the floor for a lot of us,” Washington said. “The team’s got to guard me out there. Obviously, I’m going to have more driving lanes and more ways to create for others. For me, my biggest thing is just trying to stay upright and get the ball out the same way every single time.”
Being vocal off the floor as well as on it is part of the job now for Washington, who is entering his eighth NBA season.
“It’s been good. I mean, for me, I think obviously I’m at the point in my career where I’m a vet now. So my voice means a lot more now,” Washington said. “So for me, I think it’s going to be my biggest transition during the year, is making sure I’m … off the floor and on the floor for the guys, and just being vocal doing it.”
Dallas opens the preseason against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 9 at 7 a.m. CT at The Venetian Arena in Macao, and the teams play there again Oct. 11. Washington went to Shanghai and Hangzhou this summer. Playing in front of that crowd will be a blessing, he said.
“I just want to get through the flight, to be honest with you. Obviously, it’s going to be a whole different culture. I’m excited to see and interact with the people out there,” Washington said. “Obviously, playing in front of that crowd is going to be a blessing. And for me, just being thankful, just obviously being able to play that game that I love in different parts of the world and interacting with people. So I’m excited to see how they treat us out there, and they’re ready to have a good time.”
Basketball is popular in China, and Washington is excited to dig into the food.
“I went out there, I went to Shanghai this summer. So it’s far. I know that. Obviously, they love basketball over there, they love us,” Washington said. “So it’s gonna be definitely an experience for all of us. And I’m super excited to dig into the food and just get a different feel.”
“I went to Shanghai and then Hangzhou. And what was shocking to me was the architecture and then how many people were there. It was kind of like Mexico City,” Washington continued. “Like, there was somebody everywhere. So, I’m super excited, and I can’t really wait.”
Flagg won Rookie of the Year last season after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 games. The Mavericks are playing off him in camp, according to Washington.
“It’s been great. I think for him, he’s been doing a great job of just being himself, and we’re kind of playing off of him,” Washington said. “So he’s able to make plays. He’s able to take his shots. He’s able to be versatile on both ends of the floor, and we’re kind of just piggybacking, or just helping him find ways to be himself.”
Kyrie Irving returned without restrictions 18 months after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Washington and Irving played together for a season and a half before Irving’s injury in March 2025. Irving makes it easier for everybody else, Washington said.
“It’s been great. I love playing with Kyrie. He brings so much attention,” Washington said. “He makes it so much easier for everybody else. His gravity is one of a kind, and I can’t wait for him to be on the floor with everybody and obviously everybody to be healthy. That’s my biggest thing, and I’m just ready to have some fun.”
Johnson is in early every day trying to get better, according to Washington. Marshall called the rookie a dog on Sunday.
“He’s a dog. I mean, he’s a bully out there. He’s strong. He knows what we want to do each and every possession. He talks on both ends, and he’s willing to learn,” Washington said. “He’s in here every day early trying to get better. And, I mean, you love guys like that, especially when they’re young. You know they’re going to have a bright future.”
Players from all over the world give Dallas an advantage, according to Washington, because they have seen different types of basketball and can adjust faster.
“How many languages they speak. I think we have a lot of foreign guys. So, for me, I feel like I can learn a lot of different languages this year,” Washington said. “So, I think it’s an advantage, obviously, having guys playing all over the world, seeing different types of basketball so they can adjust better and adjust faster. So we’ve got a lot of smart guys on this team. So I think it’s going to be a really good year for us.”
Santi Aldama and Sergio de Larrea play together for Spain. Washington has not learned any new words from them yet.
“They’ve kind of been stingy. Serge and Santi, they’ve been speaking Spanish just to themselves,” Washington said. “So I’m going to pick their brain a little bit during the season.”
In the 2024 playoffs, Washington started all 22 of Dallas’ games on the way to the NBA Finals. He has been on a lot of losing teams, he said.
“For me, my biggest thing is winning. Whether I’m starting or not, I just want to win,” Washington said. “I’ve been on so many losing teams. I’ve been to the playoffs one time in my career. So for me, I just want to turn that around and get to the playoffs and just win. I think that’s my biggest thing. So I feel like if I’m starting or not, I can make an impact on the floor whenever I’m out there.”
Washington has played most of his NBA minutes at power forward, while also sliding over to center and small forward at times. Regardless of what position he plays, he wants to be good at everything.
“Versatility. For me, being able to guard perimeter guys, being able to guard big guys. And then offensively, being able to play in a pick-and-roll as a screener, as a ball handler, and just playing different mismatches,” Washington said. “So, for me, my biggest thing is I want to be good at everything. So, I feel like in my workouts I should try to do, whether that’s finishing, shooting, playmaking.”
“… So, for me, it’s just trying to work on each and every aspect of my game so I can be on the floor. If the bigs are hurt, I can play five,” Washington continued. “When we’re short on guards, I can bring it up. So for me, just being versatile.”
After Macao, Dallas closes the preseason at home against New Orleans on Oct. 14 and Atlanta on Oct. 16. The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
