The Lakers still have unfinished business in the frontcourt, and that’s where P.J. Washington has emerged as a possible answer.
Los Angeles has spent the offseason reshaping the roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but one obvious hole remains: starting power forward. That spot is still unsettled, and it’s become one of the biggest questions hanging over the team as it tries to push itself into title contention after LeBron James left in free agency.
Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk put it plainly: “Then, there is the power forward position. This is the last domino among the starting lineup that really does not have full clarity just yet. There are certainly players internally, and even externally, who could fill the vacancy,"
The Lakers spent more than two months chasing Jonathan Kuminga for that role, but the 23-year-old NBA champion ended up elsewhere. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender,”
With Kuminga off the board, Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters suggested a trade path that would send Jarred Vanderbilt to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal for Washington. Peters noted that Washington is signed with Dallas through the 2029-30 season, and that his $19.8 million salary next year could make things tricky for the Lakers. Still, Peters wrote that Vanderbilt could be included to help make the money work.
“The 28-year-old is coming off a solid season in which he averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a steal per game. Washington plays a similar role to Kuminga as a versatile forward, but he's arguably a better option, albeit for a higher price,” Peters wrote.
For the Lakers, Washington would give them a more established piece than the one they just missed out on. He also has a built-in connection with Doncic as a former teammate, which could make the fit smoother right away. With Doncic controlling the offense, Washington would give Los Angeles another athletic threat near the rim and a frontcourt piece with real versatility.
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Former Lakers Champion Was Shut Out Of Latest Ownership Drama
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Artest framed the attempt as a chance to buy into what he believed would become an even more valuable asset, and he compared it to another investment opportunity he says slipped away after his playing career in the BIG3. It adds another layer to the Lakers ownership story, even if the real drama for fans remains what the new financial power structure means for the franchise going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Got A New Luka Concern They Cant Ignore
The Lakers have spent the offseason trying to stabilize the picture around Luka Doncic, making roster moves with an eye toward keeping him supported as the franchise weighs life after the uncertainty tied to LeBron James. For now, the bigger issue is less about what Los Angeles has done on the court and more about how the team is trying to make itself look like a place where its biggest star can see a long runway.
Still, the long-term question is hard to avoid. An ESPN poll of NBA insiders found that while most believe Doncic will stay beyond the 2026-27 season, a notable slice of experts think he could be on the move by then, and that kind of split only adds to the pressure around ownership changes and the teams competitiveness. The Lakers do not have to solve that tomorrow, but they do have to keep building a case that their present is strong enough to matter in his future. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers New Luka Era Already Facing A Brutal National Doubt
ESPNs panel has already thrown a bucket of cold water on the Lakers next chapter, tabbing them as the most disappointing NBA team for the 2026-27 season and projecting a drop to 45 wins. It is a jarring early verdict for a franchise that has spent the offseason reshaping itself around Luka Doncic after LeBron James departure, mixing in several new faces while trying to keep enough of its key contributors in place to stay relevant.
The optimism is easy to understand on offense, where Doncic gives Los Angeles a ceiling few teams can match. The unease is just as real, though, because the questions around defense and depth have not gone away, and the Western Conference does not leave much room for a team trying to figure things out on the fly. For the Lakers, the new era is not just about star power anymore, but whether the roster around Doncic can hold up when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]