25 P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington was born Paul Jamaine Washington Jr. on August 23, 1998, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Sherry and Paul Washington Sr., both of whom played basketball at Middle Tennessee State. He grew up in the Dallas area and finished his prep career at Findlay Prep, emerging as one of the nation’s top prospects in the 2017 class. Washington was a McDonald’s All-American, played in the Jordan Brand Classic and earned MVP honors at the inaugural Allen Iverson Roundball Classic. He also gained extensive international experience with USA Basketball, winning gold with the U18 national team in 2016 and later playing for John Calipari at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup before committing to Kentucky.

Washington developed from a productive freshman into one of college basketball’s premier forwards during his two seasons at Kentucky. After averaging 10.8 points and leading the Wildcats with 211 rebounds as a freshman, he withdrew from the 2018 NBA Draft and returned for a sophomore season that transformed his legacy at Kentucky. Washington led the Wildcats in scoring at 15.2 points per game and rebounding at 7.5, dramatically improved his outside shooting, and earned consensus third-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors. His combination of strength, versatility and improved perimeter shooting made him the centerpiece of a Kentucky team that reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

Some of Washington’s finest performances came when the Wildcats needed him most. As a freshman, he played all 40 minutes and produced 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Kansas State in the 2018 Sweet 16. A year later, after missing Kentucky’s first two NCAA Tournament games with a sprained foot, he returned to score 16 points against Houston and then delivered a career-best postseason performance with 28 points and 13 rebounds against Auburn in the Midwest Regional final. Earlier that season, he recorded three consecutive double-doubles against Florida, Vanderbilt and Kansas, becoming the first Wildcat to accomplish the feat since Julius Randle in 2014.

Charlotte selected Washington with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors after his first season. He later joined the Dallas Mavericks and became an important part of their run to the 2024 NBA Finals. During the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City, Washington scored 29 points in Game 2 and 27 in Game 3, then made the decisive late free throws in Game 6 as Dallas eliminated the top-seeded Thunder. As of the 2025–26 season, he remained with Dallas, continuing a professional career built on the same versatility and toughness that defined his rise at Kentucky.