![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/atlanta-hawks-v-new-york-knicks-game-five-new-york-new-1-e1782769341720.jpg\")
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 28: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles during the second half of Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> may be prioritizing the wrong forward.<\/p>\n After California Post reporter Khobi Price<\/a> reported that Los Angeles considers P.J. Washington\u2019s upcoming four-year, $88.8 million contract too expensive, Lakers insider Jovan Buha argued the Mavericks<\/a> forward would be a smarter long-term investment than Jonathan Kuminga<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking on his Buha\u2019s Block podcast<\/a>, Buha said he was surprised by the Lakers\u2019 reported stance on Washington\u2019s contract.<\/p>\n \u201cKhobi also had a nugget in there that I think is notable\u2026 he reported the price from the Lakers\u2019 perspective for P.J. Washington<\/a> is too high,\u201d Buha said. \u201cI was surprised by that and I also vehemently disagree with that assessment from the Lakers\u2019 perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than viewing Washington\u2019s contract as a deterrent, Buha believes it fits exactly what the Lakers are trying to build around Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>.<\/p>\n Washington Fits Lakers\u2019 Timeline<\/p>\n Price reported that the Lakers have long been connected to Washington in trade discussions but are hesitant to absorb the four-year, $88.8 million veteran extension he signed with Dallas in September 2025.<\/p>\n That extension begins with the 2026-27 season, keeping Washington under contract through 2029-30.<\/p>\n Buha argued that long-term commitment should be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s locked up for four years,\u201d Buha said. \u201cHe also fits with you\u2019re trying to get everyone on the same timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers have spent the offseason assembling a younger core around Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves<\/a> and newly acquired center Walker Kessler<\/a>. Quentin Grimes<\/a> and Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a> are also under multi-year contracts, while Don\u010di\u0107 is widely expected to eventually sign a long-term extension.<\/p>\n Adding Washington, Buha argued, would give Los Angeles another proven starter entering his prime whose contract aligns with the rest of that core.<\/p>\n Washington, who turns 28 in August, averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks in 56 games last season while continuing to establish himself as one of the NBA\u2019s most versatile two-way forwards.<\/p>\n Why Buha Prefers Washington Over Kuminga Getty\u00a0PJ Washington remains one of the most intriguing trade alternatives for the Lakers because of his familiarity with Luka Don\u010di\u0107, although his long-term contract could complicate any pursuit.<\/p>\n Buha\u2019s preference extends beyond contract structure.<\/p>\n He believes Washington has already proven he can thrive in the exact role the Lakers need.<\/p>\n \u201cI think P.J. Washington is a proven commodity,\u201d Buha said. \u201cMore of a proven commodity on both sides of the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington was a key starter during Dallas\u2019 run to the 2025 NBA<\/a> Finals, regularly defending opposing wings and forwards while providing floor spacing, rebounding and secondary scoring.<\/p>\n Kuminga, meanwhile, remains one of the league\u2019s most intriguing upside plays.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range in 36 games with the Atlanta Hawks<\/a> last season. Including the playoffs, he averaged 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds across 22 appearances.<\/p>\n Despite his athletic gifts, Kuminga has yet to establish himself<\/a> as a full-time starter after beginning his career with the Golden State Warriors<\/a> before joining Atlanta.<\/p>\n Lakers\u2019 Reported Stance Could Be Negotiating Tactic<\/p>\n Buha also questioned whether the Lakers\u2019 reported reluctance to take on Washington\u2019s contract represents their true position.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there probably is some level of haggling here,\u201d Buha said.<\/p>\n He suggested both teams have reason to publicly strengthen their negotiating leverage during what he described as \u201csmokescreen season.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers can portray Washington\u2019s contract as too expensive.<\/p>\n Dallas can counter that Los Angeles\u2019 trade offers are insufficient.<\/p>\n The truth, Buha believes, likely lies somewhere in between.<\/p>\n A Better Long-Term Bet?<\/p>\n If the acquisition cost proves reasonable, Buha said he would prioritize Washington over Kuminga without hesitation.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can get P.J. Washington and it potentially doesn\u2019t cost all of your draft capital, I would do that,\u201d Buha said. \u201cI think that would be a home run for the offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n His reasoning is straightforward.<\/p>\n Washington offers the combination of age, positional versatility, playoff experience and established two-way production that the Lakers have spent months searching for. More importantly, his contract would keep him alongside Don\u010di\u0107, Reaves and Kessler throughout what Los Angeles hopes will become its next championship window.<\/p>\n For a franchise balancing present contention with long-term roster construction, Buha believes paying for proven production is a safer bet than continuing to wager on untapped potential.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 28: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles during the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789974,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-789973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2152273010-e1783558579438.jpg\")
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