The Dallas Mavericks acquired Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
Dallas sent Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Hornets for Washington.
Here are 10 things to know about Washington.
1. The basics
Name: Paul Jamaine Washington Jr.
Birthdate: 8/23/1998 (25 years old)
College: Kentucky
Draft: 2019, round 1, pick 12 (Charlotte)
Height: 6-7
Weight: 230 pounds
2. Dallas-area ties
Washington is familiar with the D-FW area.
He played at Deion Sanders’ Prime Prep Academy for a season before a brief stint at Frisco Lone Star, though he never played for the Rangers. He played his final three years at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Nev.
He has an affinity for Dallas, as the city is listed as his hometown on his player biography from his days at Kentucky. He has also had his location set to Dallas on his X page before the Mavs even traded for him.
3. Starring at Kentucky
Washington spent two collegiate seasons at Kentucky from 2017-19.
In his sophomore year, he averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 52% from the floor and 42% from three. He was a NCAA Consensus All-America Third Team selection. He was also a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Karl Malone Award, which is presented to the nation’s top power forward.
He went on to be drafted with the 12th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2019 NBA draft.
4. Historic NBA debut
Washington made a splash in his first NBA game.
He scored a team-high 27 points in his debut, leading the Hornets to a thrilling 126-125 win. He hit seven 3-pointers, which set an NBA record for a player making his NBA debut.
5. Career NBA stats
Through his five NBA seasons, Washington has established himself as a capable scorer. See his career stats below.
| Season | Points | Rebounds | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 12.2 | 5.4 | 45.5% | 37.4% |
| 2020-21 | 12.9 | 6.5 | 44% | 38.6% |
| 2021-22 | 10.3 | 5.2 | 47% | 36.5% |
| 2022-23 | 15.7 | 4.9 | 44.4% | 34.8% |
| 2023-24 | 13.6 | 5.3 | 44.6% | 32.4% |
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