P.J. Washington may force Mavericks to scrap their expected starting five

Dallas Mavericks, P.J. Washington | Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesIt was clear that the Dallas Mavericks would have a logjam in the frontcourt as soon as they drafted Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as he plays the same position as P.J. Washington. The Mavs traded for Washington at the 2024 trade deadline, and if he plays well to begin the 2025-26 season, he'll force Jason Kidd to rethink the team's depth chart and overall rotation.

As things stand now, it seems most likely that Dallas' starting lineup will be D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford to begin the regular season, but Washington excelling in…