Even though the Dallas Mavericks only had one open roster spot this summer, they have made a flurry of moves that are poised to set the team up for success moving forward. Dallas signed D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Kyrie Irving and extended Daniel Gafford, and if they can extend P.J. Washington like they plan to do, that could end up being the steal of the summer.

Washington's contract expires after next season, and after Dallas made it clear that they didn't want to trade him earlier this offseason, they are doubling down on his future by looking to extend him before the season begins, according to a prediction from Mavericks insider Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

"I anticipate PJ will sign an extension next month, and I think that it's probably going to be at a number that he'll be very tradable on," MacMahon said on the DLLS Mavs Podcast.

Mavericks fans were pleased when they saw the number that Gafford was extended for (three years, $54 million), and according to MacMahon, it seems like Dallas is trending in the right direction to get a team-friendly deal done for Washington.

Washington was one of the many Mavericks players sitting courtside for Cooper Flagg's Summer League debut on Thursday night, along with Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Brandon Williams, Kyrie Irving, Jaden Hardy, and Naji Marshall, and he has seemed to love playing for Dallas over the last year and a half. He grew up in Dallas, and he has truly turned into a fan favorite due to some iconic playoff moments combined with his physicality and leadership. Washington fears no one, and his presence on both ends of the floor is a great picture of what they want Mavericks culture to look like.

Washington brings tenacity and versatility on the defensive end and solid 3-point shooting and post play on the other end, and if the Mavs can lock him in, fans should be thrilled.

Without Washington, the Mavericks likely wouldn't have reached the NBA Finals in 2024, and it sounds like Nico Harrison and the rest of the front office are eyeing a move to make sure that he is around for years to come. After Thursday night's Summer League game, Mark Cuban held a media scrum, and while he is no longer involved in basketball decisions anymore, he praised Harrison and the rest of the front office's ability to have the core locked in on contracts into the future.

If they can extend Washington on a long-term deal, their core of Anthony Davis, Irving, Flagg, Dereck Lively II, Gafford, Washington, and Klay Thompson will all have multiple years left on their deals (including next season), and ensuring that Washington remains in Dallas to stay in this core group should be a major priority for Harrison.

On top of the on and off-court value that Washington brings every day, the fact that it looks like he will be on a tradable contract will also be major for Dallas. While the Mavericks don't seem to want to trade Washington by any means, if they do end up needing to add additional guard help at the trade deadline, he would be an attractive trade target for any team in the NBA.

He has already proven that he can step up his game when the lights are brightest, and since he is only 26 years old, he is also someone who teams can trade for to add him to their core.

Washington's future on-court impact in Dallas, combined with his potential trade value (after an extension is signed), would make any deal to keep him a Maverick a major steal, and Dallas will be in a great spot for now and the future.