P. J. Washington

Washington married Alisah Chanel in October 2023. They have a son named Preston Julian and welcomed a daughter, Paxton Jayce Washington, in February 2025. Washington also has a son named Paul Jamaine Washington III, born in 2021 with Brittany Renner.

His parents, Sherry and Paul Washington Sr., both played basketball at Middle Tennessee State. He has siblings named Spencer and Alexandria.

Washington moved with his family from Louisville to St. Louis and Chicago before they settled in Frisco, Texas. He attended Lone Star High School in Frisco, Prime Prep Academy in Dallas and Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. At Findlay Prep, he played alongside fellow five-star recruits Allonzo Trier and Derryck Thornton.

As a senior, Washington averaged 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. He played in the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, and was rated among the leading prospects in the 2017 recruiting class. He committed to the Kentucky Wildcats in November 2016.

Washington played two seasons for Kentucky. As a freshman in 2017-18, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and led the Wildcats in total rebounds. In Kentucky's NCAA tournament loss to Kansas State, he recorded 18 points and 15 rebounds.

During his sophomore season, Washington led Kentucky in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He was selected to the consensus Third-Team All-America squad and the First-Team All-SEC team. He also became one of four players at least 6 feet 8 inches tall to average at least 15 points, shoot at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range while making at least 30 three-pointers.

Washington declared for the 2018 NBA draft before removing his name and returning to Kentucky. After the 2019 NCAA tournament, he entered the NBA draft with two seasons of college eligibility remaining.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Washington with the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut against the Chicago Bulls on October 23, 2019, scoring 27 points and making seven three-pointers. The seven three-pointers were the most by a player in an NBA debut at the time.

Washington was named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He scored a then-career-high 42 points against the Sacramento Kings in February 2021 and reached a career-high 43 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder in March 2023. He matched the 43-point mark against the Utah Jazz in January 2024.

The Mavericks acquired Washington from Charlotte in February 2024. He made his Dallas debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder and later scored 32 points, including a game-winning shot, in a victory over the Golden State Warriors.

In the 2024 playoffs, Washington became an important contributor during Dallas's run to the NBA Finals. He led the Mavericks with 27 points in a Western Conference semifinal victory over Oklahoma City. In Game 6 of that series, he made two late free throws and intentionally missed the third, helping Dallas secure a one-point win and advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.