Paul Jamaine Washington Jr. (born August 23, 1998) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30, ...

. After being selected by the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

in the first round of the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible p ...

with the 12th overall pick, he was named to the

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

in 2020. Washington was traded to the Mavericks at the trade deadline in February 2024, helping the team reach the

2024 NBA Finals The 2024 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2023–24 NBA season, 2023–24 season and conclusion to 2024 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoffs series, the Eastern ...

Early life

Washington was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. His family moved to

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

before settling in Frisco,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. Washington attended Prime Prep Academy in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

after a brief stint at Lone Star High School in Frisco, before transferring to

Findlay Prep Findlay Prep is a former high school basketball program located in Henderson, Nevada. History The program was created in 2006 by local businessman Cliff Findlay, who owns several car dealerships in the Las Vegas area. Despite closing its hig ...

Henderson, Nevada Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about southeast of downtown Las Vegas. It is the List of cities in Nevada, 2nd most populous city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with 317,610 residents. The city is part of the Las Vegas V ...

, where he joined fellow five-star recruits

Allonzo Trier Allonzo Brian Trier (born January 17, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. As a sophomore in 2016–17, he earned secon ...

and Derryck Thornton. As junior, he averaged 16.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. After his junior season, Washington suited up for his AAU team, Team Penny, sponsored by former NBA All-Star

Penny Hardaway Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway (born July 18, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Hardaway played colle ...

, on the

Nike EYBL The Nike, Inc., Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, also known as Nike EYBL, or simply EYBL, is a basketball circuit for teams of players aged 17 and under. The circuit was founded in 2010 and is composed of Amateur Athletic Union, AAU travel team ...

circuit. As a senior, Washington averaged 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Washington was selected to both the 2017

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

and

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...

Recruiting

Washington was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 12 overall recruit and No. 3 power forward in the 2017 high school class by Scout.com, Rivals.com and

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. On November 10, 2016, he committed to

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, signing his letter of intent on November 20.

College career

Throughout most of his freshman season at Kentucky, Washington played through a pinkie injury that required surgery in the summer. In the NCAA Tournament loss to

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...

, Washington led Kentucky with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Washington averaged 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. After the season, he declared for the NBA draft, but announced his return on May 30, 2018. Following Kentucky's loss to Auburn in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Washington announced his intention to forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the

, where he was projected to be a first-round selection.

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2019–2024)

Washington was selected as the 12th overall pick by the

in the

. On July 3, 2019, Washington officially signed with the Hornets and on October 23 he made his debut in NBA, started in a 126–125 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

with 27 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. He also made 7 three-pointers, the most in an NBA debut in NBA history. On October 31, he scored 23 points and 8 rebounds in a 118–111 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. On November 29, Washington put up 26 points and 5 rebounds in a 110–107 victory against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. On September 15, 2020, Washington was named 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team by the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

. On February 28, 2021, Washington scored a then career-high 42 points to help the

win over the

. On March 28, 2023, he scored a career-high 43 points in a 137–134 win over the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

. On August 29, Washington re-signed with the Hornets on a 3-year, 48 million dollar contract. On January 27, 2024, Washington tied his career-high 43 points in a 134–122 loss to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

Dallas Mavericks (2024–present)

On February 8, 2024, Washington was traded, alongside two future second–round picks, to the

in exchange for

Seth Curry Seth Adham Curry (born August 23, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one year at Liberty University before transferring to ...

, Grant Williams, and a 2027 first–round pick that is top 2 protected. On February 10, Washington made his Mavericks debut, putting up 14 points, five rebounds, and one steal in a 146–111 win over the

. On April 5, Washington put up 32 points alongside a game-winner in a 108–106 win over the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

. On April 26, in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

during a 101–90 win, Washington was ejected after being involved in a confrontation with

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member o ...

. On May 11, in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Washington led the Mavericks with 27 points during a 105–101 win over the

. In Game 6, Washington was fouled on a three-point attempt by

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander ( ; born July 12, 1998), also known by his initials SGA, is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college ...

with 2.5 seconds to go. He sunk the first two free throws to put the Mavericks up by 1 and intentionally missed the third.

Jalen Williams Jalen Devonn Williams (born April 14, 2001), nicknamed J-Dub, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played three seasons of college basketball for the Santa ...

subsequently missed a half court shot, and the Mavericks beat the Thunder in a 117–116 victory to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Washington helped the Mavericks reach the

where they lost to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

in five games. On December 27, 2024, Washington was involved in an altercation with

Jusuf Nurkić Jusuf Nurkić ( ; born 23 August 1994) is a Bosnian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, be ...

. The next day, Washington was suspended for a game due to the altercation.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 58 , , 57 , , 30.3 , , .455 , , .374 , , .647 , , 5.4 , , 2.1 , , .9 , , .8 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 64 , , 61 , , 30.5 , , .440 , , .386 , , .745 , , 6.5 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 65 , , 28 , , 27.2 , , .470 , , .365 , , .716 , , 5.2 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .9 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 73 , , 73 , , 32.6 , , .444 , , .348 , , .730 , , 4.9 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 44 , , 17 , , 29.2 , , .446 , , .324 , , .713 , , 5.3 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .7 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 28 , , 32.2 , , .421 , , .314 , , .627 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 57 , , 56 , , 32.2 , , .453 , , .381 , , .722 , , 7.8 , , 2.3 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , 14.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 390 , , 320 , , 30.6 , , .448 , , .358 , , .709 , , 5.9 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 13.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 22* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 22* , , 35.7 , , .427 , , .348 , , .709 , , 6.6 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .8 , , 13.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , 22 , , 35.7 , , .427 , , .348 , , .709 , , 6.6 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .8 , , 13.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 30 , , 27.4 , , .519 , , .238 , , .606 , , 5.7 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , .8 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 33 , , 29.3 , , .522 , , .423 , , .663 , , 7.5 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 15.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 72 , , 63 , , 28.3 , , .521 , , .384 , , .632 , , 6.6 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , 12.9

Personal life

Washington's parents met at Middle Tennessee State, where they both played basketball. Upon graduation, his father became a General Manager at a car sales company and coached his middle school team, while his mother went on to become a teacher at his middle school. Washington has a brother, Spencer, and a sister, Alexandria. Washington married Alisah Chanel in October 2023, whom he has a son, named Preston. He also has a son named Paul Jermaine Washington III, born in 2021 with Brittany Renner.

References

External links

Kentucky Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, P. J. 1998 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Denton County, Texas Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky Charlotte Hornets draft picks Charlotte Hornets players Dallas Mavericks players Findlay Prep alumni Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans Power forwards Sportspeople from Frisco, Texas Lone Star High School (Frisco, Texas) alumni