Kill the gods in the finals! The 27-year-old forward becomes a hot commodity

Recently, famous reporter Marc Stein brought big news: Mavericks forward PJ Washington will be eligible to sign an early contract renewal with a total value of just under 90 million in 4 years starting from August 29.

League insiders revealed that the two sides are likely to reach a contract renewal - even if the Mavericks will give up their starting position after choosing Flag with the No. 1 pick, Washington will give up his starting position, but he is just 27 years old, he is still a valuable striker in the eyes of the management of each team.

PJ Washington was the first round No. 12 pick in the 2019 class and began his career with the Charlotte Hornets. After the 2023 rookie contract ended, he reached a three-year, $46.5 million contract extension with the Hornets. This contract is a decreasing contract and will enter the final year next season, with a salary of $14.15 million.

The 2024 trading deadline, the Mavericks exchanged Washington and two second round picks from the Hornets at the cost of Seth Curry and Gwiga's first two protections in 2027. The outside world believes that the Mavericks "lose" in this deal.

But the facts slapped the questioners in the face. After joining the Mavericks, Washington completed the transformation from "mediocre role" to "champion puzzle". On the defensive end, he was entrusted with the important task of "defensive terminator". His blocking rate and steal rate have significantly improved, becoming a key link in the team's defensive system.

The series against the Thunder in the 2024 playoffs is his "Fight of Gods": he averaged 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game, 47.6% shooting percentage and 46.9% of three-point shooting percentage. G2 to G4 scored 29+11, 27+6, and 21+12 consecutive all-around data. Although G6 scored only 9 points in the promotion battle, 8 points came from the last 4 minutes, and he also completed the final score by free throws. The iconic arm-hunting celebration became a memory point for fans.

Looking at last season, although the Mavericks experienced the Doncic deal, Washington's personal performance is still outstanding. In the 57 games that played for the Mavericks, he averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 45.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.1%.

His rebounds hit career highs, with scores, steals, blocks and three-point shooting percentages being the second highest in his career. Washington is the most popular type of forward line in the league today - it has a size and can swing on the defensive end; it can not only cut empty and shoot three-pointers on the offensive end, but also occasionally with the ball to attack.

According to the early renewal rules, the maximum starting salary that PJ Washington can get for early renewal is 19.81 million (40% increase). If the contract signed exceeds three seasons, or the starting salary for early renewal exceeds 16.98 million (20% increase), he will not be eligible for the transaction in the six months after the contract renewal is reached.

Mavs Film Room, the Mavericks media, believes: "The signing will be great for the Mavericks in four years and $90 million."

Considering that Washington is only 27 years old, the four-year contract renewal of about 90 million is really not expensive, and it is even a bit worthwhile - in three years, the maximum salary may be close to 70 million. At that time, Washington was only 30 years old and was still in his peak period, and his annual salary may be less than 25 million, which is definitely a high-quality contract.

Will the Mavericks "take the money to save money" and use 90 million to keep him for four years? Or will Washington choose to enter the free market in 2026 to test its value?

August 29, the answer will be announced soon.