Minnesota Sports Forum

Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:44 pm Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Tough to say, monster. One thing I'm fairly confident about now: I don't think this present roster is a championship contender. While I'm excited about what a Ball/Ant backcourt can produce, I'm not confident that the PF options on the current roster are good enough to compete for a chip. But is PJ the answer? I'm not certain of that. He's coming off a subpar season, but perhaps that is because he didn't really have a true PG out there. I think the pre-2025/6 PJ though could be the missing piece to challenging for a championship.

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:44 pm Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Hard to say if he can do it for an entire playoffs. It was close with him coming to Dallas. He was one of the biggest reasons Dallas beat OKC averaging 17.7 8.3 rebounds, shooting 47.6% from the field and a crazy 46.9% from three on 8.2 attempts per game mostly corner threes, while playing good defense. After that he shot poorly against both the Wolves and Boston the rest of the way. He already has experience playing with Ball, and will turn 28 this year, so you would have him locked up for his prime years.

FNG wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:19 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 1:34 pm Maybe this will help when looking at possibly acquiring PJ Washington. Which player do you think is better PJ Washington or Ayo?

I think Ayo is the better guard and PJ the better PF .

Despite the lopsided no vote here (I'm one of them), I think this is a tough call for a lot of us. I recognize we can't move Ayo until December, but I will ask this question: what would you rather give up for PJ, Donte/Green or Ayo alone? As much as I like Ayo, I think long term giving up two wings hurts us more. That's why I'll repeat that my preference is to start the season with a PF trio of Lyles, Love (or another free agent), and Jaden. If it works, don't even think about trading for PJ. But if it doesn't, propose an Ayo for PJ straight up trade. I recognize that would leave us thinner at the wing position until Donte returns, but I think it would only be for 2-3 months.

I’d give up Green and Donte for PJ before I’d give up Ayo and it’s not even close. Green is more a contract than a player for us and he can go anywhere after his contract expires next summer. Ayo is bigger and does more things than Donte. Ayo has PG skills that Donte doesn’t have. Ayo has the length to play and defend three positions while Donte has below average length for a SG. I love Donte’s game, but he’s not at Ayo’s level overall. Ayo also, at age 26, potentially has more upside ahead of him. Then there’s this thing called an Achilles tear. It’s interesting to see the optimism expressed about Donte returning by the playoffs. That’s certainly possible, but it’s not an expectation to bank on. Let’s keep in mind just how serious an Achilles tear is for a professional basketball player. Until recently, players never came back from that injury. Even today, getting back on the court typically takes a year. Durant took 18 months. And even when back, it’s often 2 years before the player gets back to who he was and he may never get there.

In my view the Wolves can’t go into the season with serious doubts about this team and just roll the dice that it might work and roll the dice further on who they might be able to get close to the trade deadline when the season is half over. If our front office believes they have (or will have after adding a FA) the roster they need to compete for a title, they should not trade for PJ or anyone else. But if they believe we don’t have the roster to contend because the roster lacks an adequate starting PF, then they should make a trade for a player who can fill that slot at an adequately high level without giving up any core players. I think PJ would fit that bill. I think Kuminga MIGHT fit that bill. Those are a couple of guys I think we can get without giving up any of our core, which I believe includes Ayo as well as Ball, Jaden, Ant and Rudy.

I recommend watching this PJ Washington highlight video. He’s a very good player. Excellent speed and mobility. High skill level with the ball. Very good passer. Really long arms. Terrific body control. Physically strong and able to bully guys inside and finish in traffic. He provides a lot of what Julius provided inside, but without stalling the ball, slowing the pace or clogging the lane the way Julius did. Also, unlike Julius, PJ can provide some rim protection. He’s sort of a blend of Randle and Naz but not as powerful as Julius or as good beyond the arc as Naz.

https://youtu.be/AyW0uuNzVAU?si=LAfEPWd0AQNZNJU-

FNG wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:56 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:44 pm Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Tough to say, monster. One thing I'm fairly confident about now: I don't think this present roster is a championship contender. While I'm excited about what a Ball/Ant backcourt can produce, I'm not confident that the PF options on the current roster are good enough to compete for a chip. But is PJ the answer? I'm not certain of that. He's coming off a subpar season, but perhaps that is because he didn't really have a true PG out there. I think the pre-2025/6 PJ though could be the missing piece to challenging for a championship.

It doesn’t make sense to worry about a 27 year old having a down season. That’s the sort of thing you worry about when considering a 32 year old. PJ will be 28 next season, which puts him squarely in the middle of his prime. If you believe PJ before 2025-26 was the missing piece, then you should consider him the missing piece after the 2025-26 season. We spend a lot of time looking at numbers. PJ looks good by the numbers. He has all the measurements of an NBA PF with good size. He also has very solid career player stats. But watching PJ’s video highlights reminded me that the numbers don’t do him justice. He’s a two-way player with a terrific skill set who plays a style and pace that would seem to fit really well with what the Wolves are putting together around a core of Ball, Ant, Jaden and Ayo.

I’m not further on the side of the trade for PJ fence.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:27 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:44 pm Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Hard to say if he can do it for an entire playoffs. It was close with him coming to Dallas. He was one of the biggest reasons Dallas beat OKC averaging 17.7 8.3 rebounds, shooting 47.6% from the field and a crazy 46.9% from three on 8.2 attempts per game mostly corner threes, while playing good defense. After that he shot poorly against both the Wolves and Boston the rest of the way. He already has experience playing with Ball, and will turn 28 this year, so you would have him locked up for his prime years.

Thats a good response. To counter that I would say he couldn't hit a 3 for the last 2 playoff series is that actually close? Now we can agree that compared to Randle he probably brings more on defense etc but if either Rudy or Beringer is on the floor with him and he isn't 3's isn't that gonna be a problem? I'm not trying to bad on PJ I actually like him and I think he is a solid option for this roster but the salary and possible opportunity cost of adding him is a pretty big thing to consider.

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:56 pm

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:27 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 2:44 pm Who thinks PJ Washington is the missing piece to be a true contender for a championship?

Hard to say if he can do it for an entire playoffs. It was close with him coming to Dallas. He was one of the biggest reasons Dallas beat OKC averaging 17.7 8.3 rebounds, shooting 47.6% from the field and a crazy 46.9% from three on 8.2 attempts per game mostly corner threes, while playing good defense. After that he shot poorly against both the Wolves and Boston the rest of the way. He already has experience playing with Ball, and will turn 28 this year, so you would have him locked up for his prime years.

Thats a good response. To counter that I would say he couldn't hit a 3 for the last 2 playoff series is that actually close? Now we can agree that compared to Randle he probably brings more on defense etc but if either Rudy or Beringer is on the floor with him and he isn't 3's isn't that gonna be a problem? I'm not trying to bad on PJ I actually like him and I think he is a solid option for this roster but the salary and possible opportunity cost of adding him is a pretty big thing to consider.

Monster, I think you’re making some important points. PJ isn’t perfect by any stretch. He think he’s viewed as more of a threat from behind the arc than Julius and would therefore attract more attention, but your point stands that PJ is not what we can call a stretch 4. Again, I’d suggest watching his video highlights that I posted. His speed and mobility both with and without the ball helps create space in a way Julius never did. So he’s not a lane clogger like Julius. If we were talking about PJ as a 3rd option, I’d say no. But we’re talking about him as a 5th starter/5th option. Unlike Julius, PJ thrives in a low-usage role and would help drive pace rather than stifle it. I think we’d be lucky to have him. I’d hate to give up Donte for him, but I’d do it unless there’s a better PF out there for the same price or less.

If you could do a sign-and-trade of Green for Kuminga without giving up Donte, would you do that instead of Green + Donte for PJ?

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 4:09 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:56 pm

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:27 pm

Hard to say if he can do it for an entire playoffs. It was close with him coming to Dallas. He was one of the biggest reasons Dallas beat OKC averaging 17.7 8.3 rebounds, shooting 47.6% from the field and a crazy 46.9% from three on 8.2 attempts per game mostly corner threes, while playing good defense. After that he shot poorly against both the Wolves and Boston the rest of the way. He already has experience playing with Ball, and will turn 28 this year, so you would have him locked up for his prime years.

Thats a good response. To counter that I would say he couldn't hit a 3 for the last 2 playoff series is that actually close? Now we can agree that compared to Randle he probably brings more on defense etc but if either Rudy or Beringer is on the floor with him and he isn't 3's isn't that gonna be a problem? I'm not trying to bad on PJ I actually like him and I think he is a solid option for this roster but the salary and possible opportunity cost of adding him is a pretty big thing to consider.

Monster, I think you’re making some important points. PJ isn’t perfect by any stretch. He think he’s viewed as more of a threat from behind the arc than Julius and would therefore attract more attention, but your point stands that PJ is not what we can call a stretch 4. Again, I’d suggest watching his video highlights that I posted. His speed and mobility both with and without the ball helps create space in a way Julius never did. So he’s not a lane clogger like Julius. If we were talking about PJ as a 3rd option, I’d say no. But we’re talking about him as a 5th starter/5th option. Unlike Julius, PJ thrives in a low-usage role and would help drive pace rather than stifle it. I think we’d be lucky to have him. I’d hate to give up Donte for him, but I’d do it unless there’s a better PF out there for the same price or less.

If you could do a sign-and-trade of Green for Kuminga without giving up Donte, would you do that instead of Green + Donte for PJ?

I don't know why Atlanta would do that deal. We all know Green isn't worth his salary although he is a useful player. How long is this theoretical deal we are signing Kuminga for? In general I don't really care much if we get Kuminga or not. If we are talking about winning players Washington is clearly more proven in that regard. Of course until that deal where Dallas acquired him later in the season before the finals run who considered him a winning player? That's something to consider for various guys in their mid 20's.

What might be getting lost a bit in dealing for Washington is that to some extent there is a loss of proven perimeter players dealing both Green and Donte. I get that Jaden playing more there is part of the calculus and Washington and Jaden as your forward combo on defense is a nice one. Donte is unique amount the wing player in that he is a very good volume and shooter who can move and let it fly nearly anywhere anytime. Edwards and Ball are also those guys but man having another guy you can't leave and have to worry about is pretty exciting to have.

As for watching PJ Washington I'm pretty familiar with is value and his game. I think he would be a nice fit the issue is that with the roster construction and the penalties from the aprons etc I just don't see how he is reasonably affordable with Rudy, Edwards, Ayo, Ball, McDaniels making such a large chunk of money already. Honestly I've kinda wondered if the Wolves wanted to add Washington maybe they would have done so already but the timing of the Mavs adding other front court players may not have been right to move him.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2026 3:43 pm I recommend watching this PJ Washington highlight video. He’s a very good player. Excellent speed and mobility. High skill level with the ball. Very good passer. Really long arms. Terrific body control. Physically strong and able to bully guys inside and finish in traffic. He provides a lot of what Julius provided inside, but without stalling the ball, slowing the pace or clogging the lane the way Julius did. Also, unlike Julius, PJ can provide some rim protection. He’s sort of a blend of Randle and Naz but not as powerful as Julius or as good beyond the arc as Naz.

https://youtu.be/AyW0uuNzVAU?si=LAfEPWd0AQNZNJU-

I agree with everything you say about PJ. Aussie and I have gone back and forth about Jaden's true size, but nobody will ever call PJ "Slim"...he had an NBA PF body even back at Kentucky! I read your comment about discounting PJ's down season last year, and I largely agree as long as we can determine he is totally healthy...sometimes a nagging injury can lead to a down year. I'm beginning to move closer to answering "yes" to Monster's question about whether he is the missing piece in terms of making us a contender...he just might be. I don't think we're the only team that may be targeting PJ both because they like him and they notice Dallas is flush with bigs. I see the Lakers appear to be quite interested.

I also saw your comment that you would give up Donte/Green in trade far easier than Ayo and am not on the same page. Perhaps you are disregarding the Ayo Mystery as just BS analytics, but I find it difficult to ignore. There's a reason the Bulls were willing to trade him for two non-rotation players. I like Ayo's game so much (and have since his Illinois days), I struggled to understand why he has consistently been the mirror opposite of Donte throughout his career in on/off stats when their raw stats are quite similar. I couldn't determine what the issue was when I watched his early games with us on TV, but I did in the three games I attended last spring in person: Donte is consistently both effective and disruptive on defense, while Ayo often seems to be in the wrong place on defense. It's not an effort issue like with Julius or Ant...he works hard out there...it's more confusion about where he is supposed to be in a team concept. After noticing this in person, I watched it closely in the playoffs where he really struggled on defense...it wasn't much of a surprise to me that opponents scored a disastrous 16.2 more points per 100 when he was on the court. Ayo is still young and may have been adjusting to new teammates on defense (although his defensive analytics were poor at Chicago too), so he could make a positive leap on defense like Donte has, but I'd rather take the more reliable defender now.

Of course there is the Achilles issue...when will Donte return, and will he be effective? The most recent recovery example is Tatum...he came back on March 6 and actually had his surgery 3 weeks later than Donte. Reports are that Donte's recovery has been good, and a Tatum schedule would have him back in mid February. Durant had a similar recovery time and didn't seem to lose any explosiveness when he returned. But every injury is different, so I agree there are no guarantees that Donte will come back as quickly as Tatum and Durant or will be the same player. That also is why he might not be as attractive a trade asset as Ayo.