Mavericks exchange Grant Williams for PJ Washington in deal with Hornets.

At the NBA trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks traded Grant Williams for Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington and acquired Washington Wizards big Daniel Gafford, according to several sources.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Mavericks traded Williams and Seth Curry, as well as a top-two protected 2027 first-round draft selection, to the Hornets in exchange for Washington and two second-round picks.

Dallas also agreed to swap 2028 first-round selections with Oklahoma City in return for the Thunder’s 2024 first-round pick, which the Mavericks sent to Washington for Gafford along with Richaun Holmes.
Williams, who helped the Boston Celtics reach the 2022 NBA Finals and the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, signed a four-year, $53.3 million contract with the Mavericks in July as part of a sign-and-trade transaction. That move cost the Mavericks an extra unprotected first-round selection in 2030, as well as Reggie Bullock’s salary clearance.
Dallas’ final first-round selection available for trade until the offseason was in 2027.
Williams averaged 8.1 points (41/38/75 shooting splits), 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26.4 minutes in 47 Mavericks appearances. Before missing three games in early December due to a painful right knee, Williams started every game and shot over 40% from 3-point range, resembling the 3-and-D forward option Dallas envisioned for Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Since his comeback, Williams’ 3-point shooting has fallen below league average, and he has lost his starting spot to a plethora of small-ball possibilities.
Williams and Curry, who played minimally on his comeback to Dallas, are also from the Charlotte area.
In theory, Washington fills the vacuum left by Williams, as the Mavericks had intended. During his four seasons with the Hornets, the 25-year-old averaged 13 points (45/36/71 splits), 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Washington, which is based in Charlotte, has yet to make the playoffs. That should change if he can assist Dallas. The Mavericks (28-23) are presently seventh in the West, two games short of a playoff berth.
For the Wizards, Gafford averaged 10.9 points (69 FG%, 71 FT%), eight rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots per game. He will play with rookie center Dereck Lively II, forming a 48-minute rim-running and -protecting tag team. Gafford also adds insurance for Lively, who has missed the last five games due to a nasal fracture. Lively has also had lower-back and ankle problems in his Dallas rookie season.
The Mavericks are also likely to push Spencer Dinwiddie, who was bought out by the Toronto Raptors after being traded from the Brooklyn Nets, on a reunion in Dallas, according to Marc Stein of Substack.

More in Sports: https://buzzing.today/sports/
Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/