P.J. Washington may be one of the Lakers’ favorite offseason targets, but his latest comments made one thing pretty clear: he’s not acting like a player on the move.
In an interview with Kevin Gray Jr., Washington was asked how confident he is that he’ll still be in the Mavericks’ locker room when the 2026-27 season opens. He didn’t leave much wiggle room.
“Super confident. Um, I’ve had long talks with Masai, our GM, and the whole team.
So, I’m super confident I’ll be a Maverick. Um, this is where I want to be.
So, I’m super excited to be here and can’t wait to get things going.”
That’s a tough read for a Lakers team that has been tied to Washington all offseason. Los Angeles needs a starting-level two-way wing, and Washington checks a lot of boxes. He already showed he can fit alongside Luka Doncic, and that matters.
Washington arrived in Dallas during the 2023-24 season and became a key piece of the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. He started all 22 playoff games, putting up 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds while giving Dallas size, scoring, and defensive flexibility.
There’s also reason to believe Doncic still values that fit. A previous report said Doncic prefers Washington over Jonathan Kuminga as the Lakers look for another forward. Lakers insider Jovan Buha also questioned why the Lakers haven’t gone all-in on trying to land Washington.
But interest is one thing. Getting Dallas to actually deal him is another.
Washington averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds last season and gave the Mavericks a dependable two-way presence. His comments about the team’s new leadership suggest he sees himself as part of what Dallas is building.
The mention of his talks with general manager Masai Ujiri stands out. If Washington has already gotten reassurance from the front office and wants to stay put, Dallas has little reason to entertain offers.
The money makes this even harder for Los Angeles. Washington is about to begin the first year of a four-year, $88.8 million extension, with $19.8 million set for the 2026-27 season. Previous reports have said the Lakers are wary of taking on that kind of long-term salary, especially given their limited flexibility and lack of draft capital.
Even so, Washington would solve a real problem for them. The Lakers already have their backcourt in place with Doncic and Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler gives them the interior anchor they badly needed.
Washington would add another valuable piece: a forward who can defend multiple spots, rebound, and play without needing touches.
Dallas knows that, too.
None of this means the door is completely shut. Things change fast in the NBA, and a player saying he expects to stay somewhere is not the same as actually staying there. If the Mavericks shift direction or get an offer they can’t ignore, the situation could always reopen.
For now, though, Lakers fans hoping for a Doncic-Washington reunion have a pretty clear message to process. Washington expects to be in Dallas, and by the sound of it, he wants to be there, too.
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The problem for Dallas is that confidence from one player does not solve the arithmetic. The Mavericks have a packed power forward group, and with several players widely viewed as unlikely to move, the front office still has to make a decision before opening night. A few names around the roster bubble are easier to imagine in trade talks than others, which only adds to the sense that the next move may say as much about the team's priorities as the final lineup itself. [Read more 🡒]