Luka Doncic appears to be longing for the days of 2024.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar Doncic would be in favor of reuniting with his former Dallas Mavericks teammate PJ Washington, Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports reported this week. However, such a move is unlikely for the Lakers due to multiple logistical reasons.
For one, Washington is under contract with the Mavericks for several more seasons. He recently signed a four-year, $88.8 million extension that keeps him tied to Dallas through 2029.
As a result, the Lakers would have to trade away several players on their current roster just to match salaries for Washington. Deveney also notes that the Lakers have limited draft capital (three second-round picks and one first-round pick swap) with which to work with.
Still, you cannot blame Doncic for trying here. He was teammates with Washington in Dallas for two partial seasons from 2024-25, including the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run. Washington was an important catch-and-shoot marksman and rugged interior defender during that Finals run and continued to do well for Dallas last season, averaging 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
But because of Washington’s large, lengthy contract, he may ultimately be an unrealistic target for the Lakers. Instead, the Lakers might be wise to continue pursuing this more attainable target at forward.
