The Charlotte Hornets are among the top teams to watch as sellers ahead of the NBA trade deadline. However, they are also a team to keep tabs on before free agency, with players like PJ Washington needing new contracts.
Washington has turned up his game lately, scoring 23 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on the season. He’s likely to draw the interest of many teams around the NBA as a result.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Hornets are more interested in re-signing PJ Washington now than they did in the summer. A felony domestic violence charge that Miles Bridges faces changed their outlook on the situation.
Word is that the Hornets’ interest in re-signing PJ Washington has risen sharply compared to last summer, when the Hornets were expected to prioritize Miles Bridges. The Hornets insisted this month that they are not in active contract negotiations with Bridges, who pleaded no contest in November to a felony domestic violence charge for assaulting his partner in front of their two children and received three years’ probation without jail time.
Washington is set to reach restricted free agency in the offseason, allowing the Hornets to match any offer sheet he signs. With no salary cap spending room shortage, the team should have no issue retaining him if they choose to do so.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: PJ Washington & Charlotte Hornets Updates
There was a sense that Washington had been losing his placement in terms of a long-term trajectory with the Hornets dating back to last season. He hasn’t quite proven to be a sufficient defensive option to play primarily at the five and Miles Bridges’ emergence had made him the clear option at the four.
It remains to be seen what will ultimately result from Bridges’ ongoing legal problems. The NBA very well still could give a lengthy suspension to him even if he ends up navigating the legal ramifications of that situation.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: PJ Washington & Charlotte Hornets Updates
The Hornets will likely need to establish clarity regarding the situation ahead of the offseason to determine how much they can commit in salary to both Bridges and Washington. Given the many issues with the situation overall, it will be a while before that reaches the forefront.
