NBA Rumors: The player the Lakers have lost interest in

Los Angeles Lakers have officially welcomed Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler, and Jaden Hardy, while the franchise still awaits official confirmation of the signings of Collin Sexton and Kevon Looney. Nevertheless, the work for Los Angeles is not yet complete, and there is still a particularly important need to address: finding a starting-level power forward.

One of the names that has emerged as a possible solution is PJ Washington, currently a player for the Dallas Mavericks and a former teammate of Luka Doncic during his time in Dallas.

Washington fits well with Doncic, but his contract raises concerns

Washington addresses an obvious need for the Lakers as he is a power forward capable of being a starter who has already shown that he can work alongside Doncic. He is a player willing to shoot from beyond the three-point line, although his accuracy is inconsistent, and throughout his career, he has been an impactful defender.

The main issue lies in his contract. Washington still has four years and $88.8 million fully guaranteed remaining, an amount that is raising doubts for the Lakers, according to Khobi Price from The California Post.

The Lakers have been linked to trade rumors involving Washington, particularly due to his past as Doncic's teammate in Dallas. However, the financial commitment involved in acquiring his services is not appealing to the Los Angeles franchise.

It is also unclear to what extent the Mavericks want to part with his contract, although the surplus of players at the forward position has generated trade rumors in recent days.

Washington will earn $19.3 million during the 2026-27 season. Therefore, for a trade to be legal, the Lakers would need to send out at least $11.8 million in salaries. Jarred Vanderbilt could match that amount on his own, while it would also be possible through a combination of Jaden Hardy and Jake LaRavia.

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The issue is the risk of taking on four years of contract

Despite Washington seeming to fit naturally with Doncic, all indications suggest that the Lakers might not be willing to take on his contract.

Los Angeles already has Walker Kessler, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili under four-year contracts. However, the franchise may consider those deals to represent good value or be within the market price, allowing them to trade them in the future if necessary.

Washington's contract is different. It could be challenging to move him later if the player fails to improve his performance as a member of the Lakers.

Even so, Los Angeles needs to find a solution for the power forward position. And if they ultimately cannot reach an agreement for Jonathan Kuminga, Washington could become their best alternative.

Atlanta is pressuring the Lakers for Jonathan Kuminga

Rumors about mutual interest between the Lakers and Jonathan Kuminga have continued to circulate. However, Los Angeles no longer has salary cap space, so they would need Atlanta's cooperation to complete a ‘sign-and-trade’, unless they find another way to free up money.

The Hawks, for their part, seem willing to take advantage of the limited number of assets that the Lakers still have. Atlanta would be asking for the only available first-round pick swap for Los Angeles in 2032 as a condition to facilitate the deal.

Thus, while the Lakers continue to search for a way to incorporate Kuminga, the possibility of acquiring PJ Washington appears as an alternative in case negotiations with Atlanta do not bear fruit.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: El jugador por el que los Lakers han perdido interés