Lakers should trade for $88 million former Luka Doncic teammate with 373 career starts

The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a crucial offseason after another disappointing playoff exit in 2026.

Though the future of LeBron James will dominate headlines in Los Angeles this offseason, president and general manager Rob Pelinka should put building around Luka Doncic as the No. 1 priority.

Despite missing the Lakers' playoff run due to a hamstring injury, Doncic is coming off another spectacular year in which he led the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game and showed he is still one of the best players in the world.

According to multiple reports from The Athletic's Sam Amick and Dan Woike, the Lakers are "on the clock" with Doncic, meaning they need to build a contender around the 27-year-old before he starts evaluating other options for his career.

Basically, Doncic is putting pressure on Los Angeles to construct a roster around him that plays to his strengths and helps him compete for a title. With that in mind, the Lakers should call the Dallas Mavericks and look to pull off a trade for a former teammate of Doncic's who has nearly 400 games of starting experience.

Lakers should trade for P.J. Washington

In an article detailing underrated trade targets for the summer, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz mentioned Mavs forward P.J. Washington.

Washington averaged 14.2 points and 7 rebounds per game this past season.

"The Dallas Mavericks should be open for business this summer, with Flagg likely the only untouchable player on the roster. It's unclear if PJ Washington and Naji Marshall, both acquired in the Luka Dončić era, still fit on this Cooper Flagg timeline," Swartz wrote.

Washington had a ton of success playing with Doncic in Dallas, especially during the franchise's 2024 NBA finals run. Washington was a valuable defender during that run, and also stretched the floor as an elite catch-and-shoot player.

Though Washington's three-point shooting regressed a bit in 2025, the Kentucky product is still a fantastic 3-and-D wing who also has the versatility to play center in a small-ball lineup.

With Rui Hachimura set to hit free agency in the coming weeks, the Lakers could let him walk and trade for Washington to add more shooting and high-level perimeter defense on the wing. Additionally, acquiring Washington would make Doncic very happy, as reports suggest the six-time All-Star would like a roster similar to the 2024 Mavericks.

We'll see whether the Mavs even entertain trade talks on Washington, but given that the franchise is under new leadership with Masai Ujiri taking over as the president, any player could be on the market other than Cooper Flagg.