The Los Angeles Lakers still have a frontcourt problem to solve, and P.J. Washington remains one of the names hovering around the conversation.
Washington fits the kind of player the Lakers have been targeting for next season: younger, versatile and able to work alongside Luka Doncic. At 6-foot-7, he checks a lot of boxes for Los Angeles because he can handle both forward spots and doesn’t need the ball to be effective.
He’s the kind of wing who can move without the ball and finish possessions when the play comes his way. He also already has history with Doncic, which only adds to the appeal.
But the Lakers’ search has hit a snag. Their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga fell short, with Kuminga choosing the Timberwolves on a two-year deal, and that leaves Los Angeles still looking for help in the frontcourt.
As Khobi Price wrote in California Post, “The Lakers’ failed pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, who is signing a two-year deal with the Timberwolves, has left them with a hole in the frontcourt,” and, “With their roster already having 16 players signed to guaranteed contracts, the Lakers’ options for other roster additions are limited. But they still have clear needs with a month before training camp kicks off.”
That’s where Washington keeps popping up. He’s viewed as someone who could fit cleanly next to Doncic, and the Lakers’ need for a backup center doesn’t erase the value of adding a player who can cover both forward spots. Still, the path to making something happen is complicated.
Los Angeles is $8.1 million above the first apron and hard-capped, which means any move would have to bring salary back out. Washington’s contract makes that even tougher. He’s owed $90 million over the next four years, a price tag that creates a real obstacle for the Lakers.
Lakers insider Jacob Rude put it bluntly: “The Lakers have long been tied to trade rumors involving Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, a former teammate of (Luka) Doncic’s in Dallas, but as The Post previously reported, the fully guaranteed $88.8 million Washington is owed over the next four years isn’t appealing to the Lakers,”
For now, the market for Washington is still quiet, and that could eventually give Dallas reason to consider moving him for less than expected. Until then, the Lakers may have to stay patient.
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