It is not often that a team, after making numerous moves, still finds itself with multiple roster concerns this late into the offseason. But that’s where the Los Angeles Lakers sit. As Khobi Price of the California Post noted, there are reasons for all the chatter surrounding the Lakers. And it’s not just because they are the Lakers.
“With the Lakers opening training camp in a week, storylines from the last few months will be brought back to the forefront of conversations,” Price wrote. “How will superstar guard Luka Doncic lead the franchise after it decided to fully entrench itself in an era guided by him? Will the Lakers’ offseason roster reconstruction — which included the departure of LeBron James after eight seasons in Los Angeles and addition of nine players over the last three months — provide the desired results?
Aside from those questions, the Lakers have two glaring roster holes, and now that we are approaching October, it doesn’t look like the team will make a move to address either area potentially until the trade deadline starts closing in. But if general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office wanted to get aggressive for a long-rumored target, there may be a path forward.
Lakers Might Have Wide Open Path to Landing Luka Doncic’s Former Teammate
Everyone and their mother knows at this point that the Lakers have often been linked to Dallas Mavericks star P.J. Washington. According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Lakers may have an opportunity to acquire Washington by helping Dallas shed some serious payroll.
“The Lakers’ advantage in going after Washington is that Dallas would probably be happy to take Vanderbilt’s $13.3 million player option for 2027-28 to get out of Washington’s longer deal,” Pincus wrote.
The good news is that the Lakers are certainly open to moving Vanderbilt. The bad news is that they may have some reservations about acquiring a player who is on a hefty contract. Although Washington’s trade value may be on the lower side because of his contract, the Lakers may want to pull the trigger anyway.
“The latest word from various NBA sources is that Washington’s trade market is barren,” Pincus wrote. “The four-year, $88.8 million obligation is too rich for any real suitors ahead of the season, including the Lakers. However, as the season progresses, if L.A. recognizes its need at power forward, Washington is a strong fit as a former Dončić teammate who is a willing role player, defender, and shooter.”
Washington Would Solve a Major Roster Hole
Not only is Washington a proven fit next to Luka Doncic, but he would give the Lakers their hands-down starting power forward. There may be cheaper options out there — the Lakers could even turn to one of the handful of players they signed in free agency this summer — but Washington would represent the best upgrade.
“The top teams in the league, are you confident in that player starting against those teams and holding their own at that position doing what you need. … I don’t have the same level of confidence in guys like De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Kuzma, Grant Williams doing that at a starting level, doing that at 24 minutes at night, 26 minutes a night, 28 minutes a night compared to guys like P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., etc,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha said.
Washington hasn’t generated as much trade interest as fellow teammate Daniel Gafford, but that could work in the Lakers’ favor.
If the Lakers are confident Washington can raise their ceiling and address a major roster concern, they should not be worried about the money he is making, especially if it means unloading Vanderbilt from their books.
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