Washington
Since trade to Dallas Mavericks, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford raise postseason hopes
An ecstatic P.J. Washington immediately forgot about his meal, jumped up from his table, and ran out of the restaurant in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, screaming with joy.
Washington learned he was traded from the Charlotte Hornets. He was departing a long rebuilding franchise to join his hometown Dallas Mavericks. His new teammates were NBA stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, and he was going to be coached by his childhood hero, former Mavericks guard Jason Kidd.
“I remember I just got off the phone with my agent who was like, ‘Be ready, something could happen,’ ” Washington told Andscape recently. “So, I was sitting next to my wife and she was like, ‘What would you do if you got traded?’ And I was like, ‘I would just get up and just run out the restaurant.’ She did not think I was going to get traded. So, not two minutes later, I get the call and I ran out the restaurant screaming, excited, just full of joy. Just ready to get here [Dallas].
“I was so excited because I was coming home and had a chance to finally get to the playoffs. There was a lot of emotions and excitement for me.”
For Washington, a forward with the Hornets and then-Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford, the first half of the NBA season created little excitement, fanfare or hope with two rebuilding franchises. But on Feb. 8, their NBA lives dramatically changed as both were sent to the Mavericks in separate deals.
“With the position we were in, we weren’t looking to be doing anything postseasonwise,” Gafford told Andscape recently about Washington. “But coming to another team [in Dallas] that is in [playoff] position playing for something in the postseason, you have to come in with a whole different mindset. I could be lazy with the team before. Now, I have to come in with my big boy pants on.”
Vernon Bryant/Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks had a 28-23 record at the time of the trade and were in the eighth spot/play-in tournament territory in the Western Conference standings. While Dallas had two stars, Dončić and Irving, the team needed rebounding, rim protection and improved defense. Gafford added rebounding and shot-blocking and Washington is uniquely able to defend any position and can score.
“We look at them on both ends, defense and offensively,” Kidd said. “We’re trying to use their strengths. Gafford has ability to roll, he has great hands … P.J. is getting great looks at the 3. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor, to playmake, also score. And then defensively, the physicality that [Washington] brings to the team with also Gafford’s physicality. We’re asking P.J. to guard one through five and he’s doing that at a high level for us.”
According to NBA.com, before the trade deadline Dallas was 22nd in defensive rating (117.4) in the NBA, 26nd in defensive rebound percentage (69.4), 21st in opponents field goal percentage (48.6) and last in opponents field goal percentage at the rim (70.6). Post-trade deadline, the Mavs are seventh in the NBA in defensive rating (110.4), seventh in defensive rebounding percentage (73.6), third in opponents field goal percentage (45.3) and first in opponents field goal percentage at the rim (61.3).
In 27 games for Dallas, Gafford has averaged 11.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. Washington is averaging 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
The newcomers also seem to be accentuating the Mavericks’ offense alongside Dončić and Irving. Gafford has called the fit with the two stars “easy.”
Since the trade deadline, Dallas has been one of the NBA’s hottest teams, going 21-7 with wins in nine of its last 10 games. Dallas also entered Wednesday in the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference standings. The Mavericks were also 12th (117.6) in the NBA in offensive rating prior to the trade deadline and have been fourth (118.3) since.
“They said I got one job, ‘Set screens, pick and roll and pass it,’ ” Gafford, who began his career with the Chicago Bulls, said. “It’s pretty much the job I’ve had on all the teams that I’ve been on. I’m just trying to be better as the days go by.”
Washington, who scored a season-high 32 points against Golden State on April 5, said: “They make it easy. They draw a lot of attention every time they come on the court. So, somebody is going to be open as they create an open shot.”
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
The last time the Hornets made the playoffs was in 2016 when Washington was completing his junior year at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. The Hornets drafted Washington out of the University of Kentucky with the 12th overall pick in 2019. While there was one winning season with 43 victories during the 2021-22 campaign, the Hornets have been mired in losing, injury woes and rebuilding for eight consecutive seasons.
The losses took their toll on Washington in Charlotte. At the time of his trade on Feb. 8, the Hornets were 10-40 and on a nine-game losing streak. Charlotte entered Wednesday with a 19-60 record and its head coach Steve Clifford is stepping down at season’s end.
“It’s been tough,” Washington said about losing in Charlotte. “Obviously, my whole [NBA] career, I have not been to the playoffs where you can get the best from me. I’m excited to have an opportunity to fight to be in the playoffs.”
The outlook was equally dire for Gafford in Washington, but he tried to be as positive and professional under the circumstances.
Under a new front office, the Wizards traded Bradley Beal, their second all-time leading scorer, to the Phoenix Suns in June 2023. Washington hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2021. The thought of the playoffs were laughable with the Wizards’ 9-41 record at the time of the Gafford trade. Washington entered Wednesday with a 15-65 record.
“The biggest challenge on a day-to-day basis was staying locked-in and staying professional, having a mindset that every game is important,” Gafford said. “You’re fighting for something and trying to rebuild. You really had to be professional in the sense that it didn’t matter what was going on. You had to come in and be happy.
“Every day is not promised. Just because of what the record was doesn’t justify not coming out and playing hard. That was the atmosphere and vibe around the team, for sure.”
Gafford said matters were made more challenging in Washington for him and his wife, DaShundra, when their home in Alexandria, Virginia, was burglarized and “left in shambles” about a week before the trade. His wife’s jewelry and purses were among the valuables stolen along with Gafford’s gaming equipment. The good news was the Gaffords weren’t home at the time.
With the losses in Washington and mental anguish from the burglary, the timing for the move to Dallas was perfect for the Gaffords.
“Everything can be replaced as long as we have our lives and are in good spirits,” Gafford said. “Of course, I was a bit bent out of shape at the time. But I realize I play in the league and I’ve got a little bit of money, so I could get my stuff back. I looked at it that way positively. In some form of fashion, we are going to get a blessing out of this.”
Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
Another plus of the trade to Dallas for Washington and Gafford was moving close to home. Washington grew up in Frisco, Texas, 25.9 miles from the Mavericks’ American Airlines Center in Dallas. He attended Mavericks games during his childhood using a family friend’s season tickets sitting next to the Mavs ManiAACs (nicknamed “The Big Boys of Dance,” they are the NBA’s original male performance squad). His favorite Mavericks players as a kid were Kidd and forward Dirk Nowitzki.
Washington takes a lot of pride in wearing the Dallas jersey, but getting tickets for friends has been a challenge.
“I grew up there second grade to 10th grade,” Washington said. “For me, being home is great. All of my friends have been hitting me each and every day asking for all of my tickets. They are definitely on my [phone] line bugging me about every single game. I tell them to talk to the wife because she is probably going to all of them. Figure out the ones she is not going to …
“For me, there isn’t pressure playing at home. It’s just exciting. I just look at it as an opportunity to come out here, be aggressive, get a win and be me. There is no pressure at all for me. It’s a dream come true. I’m excited to be here.”
Gafford is from El Dorado, Arkansas, 268.5 miles east of Dallas. A lot of the former University of Arkansas star’s family members have been attending games, too, to his delight.
“I am only about four or five hours from my house,” Gafford said. “So, being so close now is something special to me. I can have my family and my people from my hometown come down and be around me. It’s something I always wanted to have, them come in and experience everything around me playing in the NBA.
“We’ve watched the NBA all our lives on TV, and they get to see a relative on TV. But now they get to see me in person playing with some of their favorite players, playing against some of their favorite teams. It’s something dope for me to have my people experience this on a daily basis.”
The state of Washington is getting a seventh temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Marysville Washington Temple was announced Sunday night during a devotional in the Marysville Washington Stake by Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy in the church’s United States West Area Presidency.
“We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Marysville, Washington,” the First Presidency said in a statement. “The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord.”
The other temples in Washington are the Columbia River, Moses Lake, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver temples.
The church has 214 temples in operation. Plans for another 170 temples have been announced; many of those temples are in various stages of planning and construction.
Sunday’s temple announcement follows the new practice of the church’s First Presidency, which determines where temples will be built — and when and how they will be announced.
The First Presidency directed a General Authority Seventy to announce the first temple in Maine at a fireside there in December.
In January, church President Dallin H. Oaks said the Maine announcement set the pattern for future temple announcements.
“The best place to announce a temple is in that temple district,” he told the Deseret News.
The First Presidency will continue to decide where future temples will be built. It then will “assign someone else to make the announcement in the place where the temple will be built,” he said.
This pattern came to him as a strong impression after he assumed leadership of the church in October, following the death of his friend, President Russell M. Nelson.
This came as a strong impression to him shortly after he assumed the leadership of the church, President Oaks said.
The church remains in the midst of an aggressive temple-building era. President Nelson announced 200 new temples from 2018 to 2025. All but one were announced at general conference.
Five dozen temples are now under construction.
President Oaks now has overseen the announcement of two temples, neither at a general conference.
At the October conference he said that “with the large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples.”
Ten new temples are scheduled to be dedicated in the next six months.
- May 3: Davao Philippines Temple.
- May 3: Lindon Utah Temple.
- May 31: Bacolod Philippines Temple.
- June 7: Yorba Linda California Temple.
- June 7: Willamette Valley Oregon Temple.
- Aug. 16: Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple.
- Aug. 16: Cleveland Ohio Temple.
- Aug. 30: Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple.
- Oct. 11: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
- Oct. 18: Managua Nicaragua Temple.
Two-thirds of the 170 temples still to be built are outside the United States.
Temples are distinct from the meetinghouses where Latter-day Saints worship Jesus Christ each Sunday. Temples are closed on Sundays, but they open during the week as sanctuaries where church members go to find peace, make covenants with God and perform proxy ordinances for deceased relatives.
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
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