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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”