​P.J. Washington and Luka Dončić helped steer the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, a pairing that continues to feed talk about the Lakers potentially trying to reunite them. As the Lakers press on this offseason in search of another impactful forward, free agent Jonathan Kuminga remains one of the franchise’s most closely watched targets. Yet if Kuminga isn’t available, don’t expect Washington to automatically become the fallback option.
During a Sunday Bleacher Report livestream from NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein were asked whether Washington could emerge as the Lakers’ backup plan if Kuminga falls through. Both acknowledged Washington’s established chemistry with Dončić but emphasized that there are substantial financial and roster-building obstacles that would complicate such a move.
“He is due a significant amount of money over the next several seasons, and it does appear that while the Lakers spent big this past summer, P.J. Washington isn’t someone they’re prioritizing for a reunion with Luka Dončić,” Fischer noted.
Washington has long been viewed as a logical fit for the Lakers because of the success he enjoyed alongside Dončić in Dallas. After joining the Mavericks at the 2024 trade deadline, Washington became a key piece of the frontcourt, delivering versatile defense, solid rebounding, and floor spacing that complemented Dončić’s game and helped lead Dallas to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Stein pointed out that history naturally fuels speculation about a reunion. “I think the best P.J. Washington we’ve ever seen was when he was playing with Luka,” Stein said. “So, it’s natural for people to ask and wonder: Is there a connection? Can that connection be rekindled?”
Yet Stein also stressed that the Lakers would confront many of the same hurdles they’ve encountered in pursuing Kuminga. “But the reality is, the Lakers would run into some of the same problems pursuing him that they’re running into pursuing Jonathan Kuminga,” Stein explained.
According to Stein, the Lakers’ limited pool of trade assets continues to constrain what they can realistically offer. “They only have one tradable first-round swap to offer in trades, right? It’s a 2032 swap.” That scarcity of draft capital, in addition to constrained cap space, is a major factor hindering Los Angeles from landing a starting wing around Dončić, Reaves, and newly acquired center Walker Kessler.
Even if Washington fits many of the Lakers’ criteria for a forward who can contribute immediately, the financial and asset-related realities create substantial barriers to any potential pursuit. As the Lakers navigate a delicate offseason, the question remains whether Washington could ever become a viable option—not just a popular name tied to a former Dallas connection, but a practical move that makes sense given Los Angeles’ broader roster construction and long-term salary commitments.