The Los Angeles Lakers have, no doubt, put themselves through a complete makeover here in the opening of the 2026-27 NBA offseason, not only shedding LeBron James, but also ridding themselves of all their aging veterans–as things now stand, Austin Reaves is the oldest Laker on the roster, and he turned 28 just a little more than a month ago. The Lakers were the NBA’s oldest team by usage a year ago, with an average age of 31.1 (per NBAAge.com) but have an average age around 25 at this point, depending on what they do next.
And it should be clear: They need to do more, especially when it comes to finding a power forward. New guy Sandro Mamukelashvili is an excellent option off the bench, but probably not a rugged and reliable enough defender to handle the 4 spot with Luka Doncic and Reaves on the floor.
That’s why the Lakers have been zeroing in on Jonathan Kuminga as a potential added piece, a young, long and athletic forward who can defend power forwards.
PJ Washington as a Jonathan Kuminga Alternative
But Kuminga is weighing his options, and as we have seen, the best-laid plans in the NBA very often don’t work out. The Lakers, then, need to be flexible when it comes to adding another power forward–and there is one on the trade market who would make a lot of sense for the team. That is former Doncic teammate PJ Washington, the Mavericks big man whom Dallas would be willing to move.
Washington makes sense with the Lakers. One Western Conference assistant coach was asked about Washington as a Plan B approach if Kuminga does not work out and said, “He’d be Plan A for me, just because he is a veteran who knows how to play with Luka, he can defend his position and he is going to be sort of a reliable piece. He’s not super young and he is not a great shooter, but if you’re just looking for a fit, he would give them a much more balanced lineup than what they’re looking at now.”
GettyJonathan Kuminga
PJ Washington a Strong Fit for Lakers’ Luka Doncic
Indeed, the Lakers probably would not be too concerned about Washington’s age–at 27, he is four years older than Kuminga–because he is still well within the Doncic/Reaves timeline. But the 3-point shooting is spotty with Washington. He is a career 35.4% shooter from the arc but is coming off a year in which he shot only 32.5%, second-worst of his career.
Still, he is capable of knocking down 3s, and a willing shooter, averaging 14.2 points last season. He is also a solid rebounder and a good one-on-one defender who can also block shots–he averaged 1.1 per game last year.
Would Lakers Need a Jonathan Kuminga Plan C?
One big obstacle though, is his payout. Washington is entering the first year of a four-year, $89 million extension, and that might be too pricey for the Lakers to dive into. He is set to make $19.8 million next season, and the Lakers would need to trade out some hefty salaries to get Washington’s contract on the books.
It’s possible, but that might prove to be too difficult. Washington is a good Plan B, but the Lakers might need a Plan C, too.
Lakers Weigh $89 Million Target as Jonathan Kuminga Plan B