The Lakers’ hunt for frontcourt help has kept Jonathan Kuminga at the center of the conversation, but another name has floated around the edges: P.J. Washington. That buzz, though, may not have much real traction behind it.
NBA insider Jake Fischer offered a blunt update during a recent episode of “ Insider Notebook,” and it did not exactly feed the rumor mill. Fischer said, “I haven’t heard any team targeting P.J.
Washington for some time. Daniel Gafford has had far more trade interest, to my understanding… I really haven’t heard P.J.
Washington’s name come up. Obviously, he’s been linked and connected to the Lakers time and again.”
He added, “I mean, he’s played the best basketball of his career next to Luka Doncic, which is not something that Washington alone has experienced. But I haven’t heard that the Lakers are making any pursuit of P.J.
Washington. His name just gets brought up by Lakers fans and by Mavericks fans with that trade mechanism, but nothing I’ve actually heard behind the scenes.”
That’s a tough reality check for a player who, at least on paper, looks like a clean fit in Los Angeles. Washington brings size, versatility and the kind of athletic pop that can help as a lob threat while also giving the Lakers another perimeter defender next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He also checks the box for a team that still has roster holes to fill.
But the reporting here points in a different direction: the Lakers simply do not appear to be in active pursuit of him.
Washington’s name had made sense in theory because many expected him to surface in trade talks as Dallas looked toward a rebuild. The Mavericks also drafted players like Morez Johnson Jr., which only fueled the idea that Washington could be available. Instead, recent reports suggest Masai Ujiri has a very positive opinion of Washington, and his production last season made him a tough player to pry loose anyway.
He averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.0% from the field.
So if Washington is not really on the board, where does that leave the Lakers? Fischer’s comments suggest the rumors were mostly fan-driven, built around trade-machine talk rather than real negotiations. In that sense, Los Angeles may not be losing much at all.
The bigger issue is what comes next. If the Lakers are not chasing Washington, that leaves more pressure on the Jonathan Kuminga talks, and those discussions have reportedly stalled because of contract demands. That should push L.A. to widen its search.
A few names are still hanging around the edges. Some sources have viewed a reunion with Kyle Kuzma favorably.
Klay Thompson, a four-time NBA champion, has also been tied to the Purple and Gold in recent rumors, though that remains speculative. Lakers insider Jovan Buha has also floated Grant Williams as a possible trade target this summer.
The Lakers are clearly shopping for a quality wing at a price they can live with. The problem is that those two goals may not line up anymore. With 16 guaranteed contracts already on the books, the team would need to clear at least two spots just to make room for another addition.
In Other News...
Lakers May Still Be Chasing Athletic Wing Help Before Camp
The wing market remains one of the more interesting dominoes left before camp, and a familiar name is now sitting near the center of it. Cleveland has been trying to land Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade, but the talks have been slowed by the contract side of the equation, which has pushed the Cavaliers to look at other athletic options who could still fit multiple roster plans around the league.
One of those options is Peyton Watson, whose situation has drawn sign-and-trade interest from several teams, including the Lakers. For a team still weighing ways to add length and athleticism on the perimeter, that kind of flexible trade candidate is worth monitoring, even if nothing is imminent. If the talks never come together, Watson could eventually reach unrestricted free agency in 2027, keeping this thread alive well beyond the current summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Walter Just Set A New Standard For The Lakers
Mark Walter is already sounding like the kind of owner Lakers fans have been waiting for, one who is willing to talk in the language of titles instead of just timelines. Fresh off taking over the franchise, he pointed to his experience with other sports teams and made it clear that the standard in Los Angeles is nothing less than contention, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves among the players he expects to help drive that push.
Walter also acknowledged that getting there will not be simple, which is part of what makes the message resonate. The Lakers have spent too much time talking about the next step instead of the next banner, and Walter promised that championships will return to Los Angeles under his watch, a declaration that instantly raises the pressure and the expectation around everything the franchise does next. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Frontcourt Hole Puts Luka At Center Of Next Big Decision
The Lakers still have a notable opening at starting power forward, and the search to fill it has lingered well into the offseason. After coming up short in their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, the front office has kept looking around the league for a frontcourt answer, with the market for bigger bodies now drawing as much attention as any splashier move.
One name that has surfaced is Dallas forward P.J. Washington, a player the Lakers have shown interest in as they try to firm up the lineup around Luka Doncic. A reunion would make sense from Doncics side, and his comfort with Washington is part of what gives the idea some traction, but there is still no agreement in place as the Lakers keep weighing their options. [Read more 🡒]