- The Hornets and PJ Washington recently agreed on a three-year deal
- Washington claimed he always wanted to stay in Charlotte
- GM Mitch Kupchak hilariously called him out for saying that
PJ Washington re-signed with the Charlotte Hornets on a three-year, $48 million deal on 29th August, and on Tuesday, he and GM Mitch Kupchak held their first press conference since agreeing on that deal. Washington was asked about his decision to re-sign, and he claimed it was what he always wanted to do.
“For me, I always wanted to stay in Charlotte, no doubt about that,” Washington said.
Before the 25-year-old could continue, however, Kupchak hilariously interrupted him.
“That’s not what your agents were saying,” Kupchak said. “It’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
The whole room was left in splits, and all Washington could do was laugh. Considering how long these negotiations went on, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there were some points where Washington’s agents stated he’d be open to going elsewhere if the Hornets didn’t match their demands.
Re-Signing Washington Was Very Important For The Hornets
Washington is part of the young core that the Hornets are hoping can help them return to relevance. They had selected him with the 12th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft. and Washington has improved a fair bit over the years.
The 6-foot-7 forward had his best season in the NBA in 2022-23, as he averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Washington is also quite versatile, having also slotted in at center for the Hornets in his time with the team. He is able to guard basically one through five and is exactly the kind of player you want alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Can The Hornets Turn Things Around In 2023-24?
The Hornets took a big step back in the 2022-23 season despite Washington’s good play.
It was due to Ball only playing 36 games in the season thanks to multiple injuries, while Miles Bridges did not feature at all following his domestic violence charge. The Hornets, who had won 43 games in the 2021-22 season with the two of them leading the way, only went 27-55 in the last campaign.
Ball is now healthy and Bridges is back with the team, a decision that hasn’t sat too well with many on the outside. With the two of them available, though, the Hornets should have a bounce-back season.
When you also take into account the addition of Brandon Miller, whom they selected with the second pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, it does seem like Charlotte will be a lot better this upcoming season.
The post-Michael Jordan era looks likely to get off to a good start and who knows, this might finally be the season when the Hornets end their seven-year playoff drought.
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