Charlotte soft launched their rebuild by trading Terry Rozier, and a full-on hard launch could come this week.
With the February 8th trade deadline approaching, rumors are flying about what the Hornets' next move could be. According to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein, PJ Washington may be on the move next.
The former Kentucky Wildcat has been a Hornet since the 2019 NBA Draft. Washington entered free agency last summer, and following minimal interest across the league, he returned to the Hornets on a three-year, $46.5 million contract. One of the few teams with reported interest in Washington during free agency was Dallas, and it seems that interest has piqued again.
According to Stein, Charlotte would push for 23-year-old Josh Green to be included in the trade. His $4.7 million annual contract doesn't match Washington's $16.8 million, so Dallas would need to include either Grant Williams or Richaun Holmes to match salaries. In that scenario, I'd imagine Charlotte would pair Nick Richards with Washington, and request future picks from Dallas as Richards would bring youth, and depth to Dallas' front court.
Stein also reported that the Los Angeles Clippers have registered interest in Washington. The Clippers have been red hot after an initial rough patch following the acquisition of James Harden. With Los Angeles, salaries and assets are tough to match with Washington as well.
If Charlotte were to add Nick Richards to the deal, Los Angeles could potentially send Norman Powell, rookie forward Kobe Brown, and multiple future second round picks. The Clippers are unable to send a future first round pick going forward due to the Stepien rule.
Which of these two trades would you prefer Charlotte to make if they do end up trading PJ Washington?
More must-reads: