The Dallas Mavericks shared the latest update on PJ Washington, who is currently recovering from a sprained right ankle. Washington has missed the last four games for the Mavericks, and it seems like he’ll continue to be sidelined.
Speaking to reporters before the Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, coach Jason Kidd was asked about Washington’s recovery.
“He’s doing court work, and hopefully, he’s back in a week,” Kidd said, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
Washington suffered the injury on January 3 against the Houston Rockets early in the second quarter, as reported by ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta. The Mavericks would later announce that he would miss the rest of the game.
Based on Kidd’s comments, he could be back on January 19 against the New York Knicks.
Mavs Urged to Trade Washington
PJ Washington was huge for the Dallas Mavericks in their run to the NBA Finals in 2024. The Mavericks acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets, and he has been an integral part of the team. He was even signed to a four-year, $88.76 million extension back in September by then-general manager Nico Harrison.
However, Washington has been plagued by injuries this season and is shooting poorly from beyond the arc at just 31.7%. He’s averaging 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks.
His numbers are similar to last season’s, but the main problem has been his struggles shooting the ball from the 3-point range. Due to this issue, Lorenzo Almanza of The Smoking Cuban urged the Mavericks to trade Washington in the offseason.
“Dallas could trade someone like Washington, as they’ll look to upgrade their 3-point shooting. Remember, the Mavs want to start building assets around Cooper Flagg, so equipping him with shooters could be in their long-term plan. He is also a true power forward, just like Flagg, and they have to find a way to better balance their roster,” Almanza wrote.
Washington is a solid role player, but his contract might be hard since his extension kicks in next season. Many teams are looking to have cap space by the summer of 2027 due to the number of potential free agents that offseason.
Washington Influences OKC Star
One of the things that fans noticed about PJ Washington earlier this season was him wearing heating gloves on the bench during games. Washington told Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban back in November that he wears the gloves to keep his hands warm. He has a condition that makes his hands cold and purple, so it’s a way to keep them heated.
That practice influenced Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams to use a heating glove on his surgically repaired right wrist. Williams is still experiencing pain from time to time, so he got the idea from Washington.
“I saw PJ Washington using it. It looked pretty cool. Just trying everything; see what it was. It really wasn’t much to it, just a heated glove. I’m just trying stuff other than a hot pad,” Williams said, via Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints.
Williams is having a down campaign, mainly due to the lack of rhythm in his shooting hand. He’s averaging just 17.6 points this season and shooting a career-low 28.1% from 3-point range.
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