PJ Washington is an Essential Piece of the Hornets' Future
A name that hasn’t been brought up much this offseason is PJ Washington.
Washington is coming off a unique season where he was asked to fill in holes for Charlotte. PJ found himself starting the season off the bench and then later solidifying himself as a starter after Gordon Hayward went down for an injury. He was also called to play the center more than he ever has in his short career. 54% of Washington’s minutes were at the center position (Per Cleaning the Glass). PJ answered the call and played some of the best basketball of his career for the first winning season in Charlotte since the 2015-16 season.
As you may know, PJ Washington is eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension this summer following his third season. There have been no reports of Washington & Charlotte having any discussions about a contract extension. This comes as no surprise as Mitch Kupchak said back in May that these discussions could lead to the fall.
“We’ve got time, I don’t want to go down that road. His extension could lead into the fall & we’ll see what makes sense for us. He’s taken that next step of becoming real professional,” - Mitch Kupchak
Whether it’s this offseason or next offseason, Charlotte has to do everything they can to retain PJ Washington long-term. Washington is the type of player that every team desires to have. He’s a winning player, something that the Hornets don’t have enough of. His perimeter shooting (career 37.5 3P%) and versatility on the defensive end make him the ideal forward in the modern NBA. A player like PJ is someone that Charlotte can’t afford to lose especially with the uncertainty around Miles Bridges.
Diving into the offensive side of the floor, PJ has a unique skill set that makes him extremely valuable to the Hornet's pace-and-space style.
Floor Spacing
Washington is one of the best shooting bigs in the league and acts as a floor spacer on drives & as a pick-and-pop threat. PJ shot 39% on ATB 3’s and 36.6% off the catch (Per B-Ball Index). Having a stretch four like PJ who you can draw up plays for and rely on hitting shots off drives opens up the entire floor for everyone. PJ is also the type of player you want to play alongside LaMelo Ball. He can roll or space off screens, giving Charlotte plenty of options with PJ as the screener.
Positional Versatility
Last season, PJ Washington found himself splitting time at both the power forward and center positions. With Mason Plumlee, missing time for COVID, and none of Charlotte's young centers being NBA ready PJ’s name was called. At 6’7" Washington is a small center even for small ball standards, but he found a way to find success in this role. PJ at the five gave Charlotte a whole new dynamic on the offensive side of the ball. His shooting gave LaMelo Ball & Miles Bridges much more room to operate in the half-court. Charlotte's most played lineup with PJ Washington at the five was: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Cody Martin, Miles Bridges, and Washington. In the 188 possessions with that lineup, Charlotte averaged 125 PTS per 100 possessions (per Cleaning the Glass) and a 118.1 ORTG.
Defensive Impact
Defense. Defense. Defense. This is PJ Washington's calling card, making him invaluable to this Charlotte team. Surrounded by incapable defenders Washington was asked to fill in the holes to keep the Hornets above the float. Washington has legitimately covered shifty guards like Trae Young to a strong big man like Joel Embiid. He has a rare combination of foot speed to keep up with guards and the upper body strength plus length to give seven-footers issues. This just isn't normal. Washington is the same height as LaMelo Ball and the Hornets felt extremely comfortable playing him at the center position to be the defensive anchor. PJ Washington averaged 1.17 steals/75 (81st percentile) and 2.84 deflections/75 (79th percentile). Additionally, he was in the 89th percentile in rim protection (per B-Ball Index). As you can see the stats back up the Hornets confidence to use PJ as a primary defender for players across all five positions. I have no doubt that Steve Clifford is going to love coaching him this upcoming season.
How much could PJ Washington command?
PJ Washington is going to have plenty of suitors in restricted free agency should Charlotte not extend him this offseason. The 2023 free agent class is relatively weak especially at the power forward position with Jerami Grant, Christian Wood, PJ Washington, and Grant Williams at the top of the list. Washington should garner a lot of interest with his perimeter shooting and defensive capabilities. I could see his contract ranging from $60 to $70 million on a four-year scale. For reference, last offseason Lauri Markkanen got paid $67 million on a four-year deal in RFA and Johnathan Issac got 4 years, $69 million back in 2020. These are both PFs who were restricted free agents and are around the same level as PJ Washington.
PJ Washington is a player that you want to see grow alongside LaMelo Ball and he still has plenty of room to improve. Extending PJ Washington isn't a move that deserves much thought, it's a no-brainer. If the end goal for Charlotte is to bring a championship that has to start with being willing to spend on impactful players.
