If not Jonathan Kuminga, then who?
A popular answer to that major Los Angeles Lakers question has been P.J. Washington all throughout the summer. The Lakers need to trim the roster from 16 to 15, they need a starting forward, and Washington is a proven fit with Luka Doncic. Dream scenario, right?
Unfortunately for those hoping to see Washington in purple and gold, it may remain only said dream when the dust settles. The Dallas Mavericks forward, himself, did not think he was going anywhere. The former Doncic running mate said as much in an interview with DLLS Sports. The interviewer asked how confident P.J. was about being on the roster when opening night arrives for the Mavs.
"Super confident.
I've had long talks with Masai [Ujiri], our GM, and the whole team. So, I'm super confident I'll be a Maverick. This is where I want to be.
I'm super excited to be here and can't wait to get things going."
P.J. Washington does not think a move from Dallas is coming
Perhaps this is a player putting on a strong front in the face of never-ending trade rumors. That much could be possible. However, there is also reason to take Washington at his word.
Marc Stein previously reported that Ujiri was said to be a fan of his Mavericks forward. Was that an attempt to drive Washington's trade price up? Maybe. However, it could have also indicated something important about the timeline in Dallas.
Ujiri could just want a proper sample size with some of his key players here before committing to offloading any of them. Sure, the Mavericks have a logjam at forward. They also actively need to get off at least one player before the start of the season.
Before any of that happens, Ujiri, who was only hired in early May, could need more time to properly evaluate his circumstances. Better to do that than to move a valuable player for pennies on the dollar.
Lakers need another plan besides P.J. Washington
For what it is worth, the Lakers have been rumored to be turned off by Washington's four-year, $88.8 million contract. Khobe Price reported as much earlier in the summer.
That rumor, however, could easily be hypothesized as an intentionally placed piece of info to drive his trade price down in potential negotiations. It is not like the Lakers have a ton of assets to work with.
What they do have is the contracts to make the deal work. Jarred Vanderbilt and salary filler easily gets the Lakers to the money needed to absorb Washington's deal. That alone has kept many on the hype train for this one.
If Washington does find his way to Los Angeles, this could be a deal that does not get done sooner than a potential 2027 trade deadline link-up. If that is the case, the Lakers will need to figure out their starting forward spot to begin the season with someone else.
At the very least, Washington may be a "not right now" scenario. In a worst-case scenario, it may be never.
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