The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to making another trade with the Dallas Mavericks for over a year to get either PJ Washington or Daniel Gafford, two forwards who would immediately slide into the team’s starting lineup for next year.
The Lakers’ franchise star Luka Doncic previously played with both during his time on the Mavericks, and though there was previous reporting about Dallas not wanting to make another deal with Los Angeles, the trade rumors about Washington and Gafford have continued.
As the Lakers continue the search for a starting power forward, according to one NBA reporter, the Mavericks’ decision to sign Naji Marshall to a new contract extension could open the door for one of those players to be moved in the not-so-distant future.
Mavericks Decision Opens Door On A Lakers Trade For PJ Washington Or Daniel Gafford
Writing for The Athletic, John Hollinger named the Mavericks’ decision to bring back Marshall on a three-year, $53 million contract extension as one of the most questionable moves of the 2026 NBA offseason.
“I don’t think Marshall is a bad player, but extending him for three years and $53 million feels like bad strategy,” he wrote. “The Mavs have a ton of forwards, including Marshall. Dallas doesn’t have much shooting, and Marshall is another limited shooter. And the team’s best player for the foreseeable future is an on-ball forward, which is the same role Marshall plays.”
Hollinger outlined how the Mavericks now have seven forwards on the roster for next season, and playing any of them, including Marshall, alongside Cooper Flagg will be difficult.
Sure, if Dallas is looking for more shooting, the Lakers likely wouldn’t be the first team they’d go to for a trade.
However, getting Dalton Knecht and another player back in a deal isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially as the Mavericks are looking forward to a long-term future with Flagg. They don’t need more on-ball and bigger forwards like Washington or Gafford, and could rather use a shooting wing like Knecht to space the floor.
Hollinger clearly didn’t like the Marshall extension, and if Dallas does go all-in on him and Flagg at the forward positions, or even realize it was a mistake to re-sign him, they could look to trade some of the other players in the same spot on the depth chart, giving the Lakers a stronger chance at landing Washington or Gafford, the two players they’ve had rumored interest in for a while.
Previous Reports On LA’s Interest In The Former Luka Doncic Teammates
The Lakers’ reported trade interest in Washington and Gafford is nothing new, and though the idea of trading for the contracts of either would be somewhat difficult at this point considering the team’s limited assets, there’s little to no reason to think Los Angeles wouldn’t be interested in one of them if they do become available.
“I do think (the Mavs) are open to trading veterans like P.J. Washington…like Daniel Gafford for the right price. What is that price? The Mavericks — it dates back to a different front office regime — they’ve been asking for a first-round pick for Daniel Gafford for a while now. I’m sure it’s roughly similar value for P.J. Washington,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said.
There were conflicting reports about the Lakers’ interest in a Washington trade; as Khobi Price of the California Post wrote, the team could be more interested in Gafford over Washington.
“The Lakers have long been tied to trade rumors involving Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, a former teammate of Doncic’s in Dallas, but as The Post previously reported, the fully guaranteed $88.8 million Washington is owed over the next four years isn’t appealing to the Lakers.”
Additionally, despite what Price has said, Washington was recently named a top trade target for the Lakers to go after, and he becomes a much more realistic name after Dallas committed to a deal for Marshall.
“PJ Washington was extended last year, but Dallas has increasingly loaded up at his position with Santiago Aldama, Zaccharie Risacher, and last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg,” Eric Pincus wrote, echoing Hollinger’s thoughts on the Mavericks’ forward depth.”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.”
The previous trade rumors between the Lakers and both Washington and Gafford were real, but some time will likely pass before the Mavericks decide on the future of either. Still, Los Angeles will almost certainly be ready to pounce if Dallas makes the two former teammates of Doncic available.
Lakers Handed Positive News On PJ Washington, Gafford Trade With Mavericks