The Charlotte Hornets are bringing back an important part of last year's team. Power forward PJ Washington is set to remain with the squad on a three-year, $48 million deal, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He entered the offseason as a restricted free agent and will continue his tenure with the team that drafted him 12th overall out of Kentucky in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Washington put together his best pro season in 2022-23. He averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for a Hornets squad that needed a lot of help in the frontcourt with Miles Bridges away from the team and several other forwards dealing with injury problems. Cody Martin only played seven games because of a lingering knee injury and Gordon Hayward missed 32 games while dealing with ankle, back, and shoulder pain. Washington started all 73 games he appeared in and provided Charlotte with some much-needed consistency. It's unclear whether he'll retain a full-time starting role this upcoming season, however. The Hornets appear set to get some help at his position from more than one place in 2023-24.
Bridges will serve the remaining 10 games of a league-issued 30-game suspension following a domestic violence charge from 2022 before returning to the hardwood. Meanwhile, Bradon Miller is expected to play an important role on the wing alongside Martin and Hayward after being selected second overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Both of them could impact Washington's role this coming season.
