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Charlotte Hornets mock trade: Jeff Peterson brings a familiar face back to the Queen City

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 8:57 PM ET

What does Jeff Peterson have up his sleeve next?

After re-shaping the Charlotte Hornets' roster via the NBA Draft and free agency, Peterson still has some work to do. The acquisition of Collin Sexton and the subsequent re-signing of Tre Mann have created a log jam in the Hornets' back court. With LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Kon Knueppel, and Sion James set to soak up minutes at the guard positions, Josh Green and Nick Smith Jr. may find themselves out the outs.

Enter a pair of old friends: PJ Washington and the Dallas Mavericks.

After Nico Harrison's vision became clear when Dallas shockingly won the 2025 NBA Draft lottery with only a 1.8% chance for glory, the Mavericks quickly turned from Western Conference also rans into quasi-championship contenders. A quick rebuild around Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis is in the cards for Dallas, and as their lead decision maker said following the baffling Luka Doncic trade, defense wins championships, so his Mavericks should look to add a defensive-minded wing to their rotation.

Josh Green, a former Maverick, fits the mold. Before getting traded to Charlotte last summer, Green was a key piece on Dallas' 2023-24 outfit that lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

In return for Josh Green, Charlotte would receive their 2019 first-round pick, PJ Washington, in return. Their salaries match, and Washington is the perfect reserve forward to supplement the Hornets' current roster.

As it stands, Tidjane Salaün is the only true power forward on Charlotte's cap sheet. Miles Bridges, a small forward by trade, has moonlighted at the position since Washington was shipped out at the 2024 trade deadline, but he'd be more effective playing his natural position for long stretches of time.

Adding Washington back into the fold would allow Charles Lee some serious versatility in his lineups. Bridges could slide up to the three when Washington comes off the bench, and Charlotte could play with some elite positional size from one to five.

Washington is also strong enough, big enough, and tough enough to play small ball center, a role that he thrived in on Charlotte's 2021-22 team that made the NBA Play-In tournament.

If not Washington specifically, Charlotte still needs to pursue a versatile forward that can help the team tread water until Grant Williams returns from his nasty knee injury. Jeff Peterson has proven quick on the trigger thus far in his tenure as the Hornets' President of Basketball Operations, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him pull it again before too long.