The Lakers may keep showing up in the rumor mill, but the latest buzz around P.J. Washington doesn’t point to a real path forward.
Washington has long been viewed as a fit in Los Angeles because of what he brings on both ends. He can defend, he can hit from deep, and he can give a team scoring help in a few different ways.
On top of that, he was Luka Doncic’s teammate during the Mavericks’ 2024 run to the NBA Finals, which naturally made the idea of a reunion appealing. Doncic, according to the report, would welcome that pairing again.
But that’s where the optimism starts to fade.
Sean Deveney reported that Washington’s four-year, $89 million extension, signed last September, is the kind of contract that makes a Lakers deal extremely difficult. The deal begins with a $20 million cap hit for this season, and that alone creates a major obstacle for Los Angeles.
“The Lakers’ interest in PJ Washington of the Mavericks is a good example. LA has a need for Washington, who was a teammate of Luka Doncic during the Mavericks’ 2024 run to the NBA Finals.
And Doncic, we’re told, would be in favor of a Washington reunion. But Washington signed a four-year, $89 million extension last September, which starts with a $20 million cap hit for this season.
“That makes it very difficult for the Lakers to add Washington, no matter how often he gets linked to LA,” Sean Deveney wrote.
For a Lakers team that keeps running into the same wall - cap limitations and a thin pile of trade assets - this is another reminder that interest alone won’t get it done. They’ve been connected to plenty of players over the years, and they’ve landed some big ones, but this one appears out of reach for now.
If the Lakers want to keep improving around Doncic and the rest of the roster over the next few seasons, they’ll likely have to keep getting creative. With Washington, though, the latest update suggests the door is mostly shut.
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