One player the Thunder should target on each team in the Southeast Division
Charlotte Hornets: P.J. Washington
Late last season, the Charlotte Hornets came to Oklahoma City when the OKC Thunder were clawing for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. What felt like an apparent OKC Thunder victory shifted into a shocking upset as P.J. Washington buried push shot after push shot on his way to 43 points.
It might just be his status as a Thunder-Killer, but Washington could fit very well with the OKC Thunder.
We got a little bit of everything from PJ Washington tonight.
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) March 29, 2023
Intermediate touch, ball skills and body control on full display. Got clear-outs, came off screens, ran ball screens, knocked down shots when spaced. Just an impressive, versatile effort against OKC. pic.twitter.com/6XKjh5Tg6p
P.J. Washington has the physical attributes of an archetypal OKC Thunder player. He’s 6’7 but with a 7’3 wingspan. He showed last season that he can make decisions with the ball. Due to the Hornet’s organizational disarray, Washington had to play a more significant role last season than ever. This inflated his counting stats but at the expense of his efficiency. If he were to play a more minor role on a more talented team, he could show out as a high-end role player.
The Hornets signed Washington to a 3-year, 48 million, 48-million-dollar contract a few weeks ago. Negotiations took longer than expected, potentially signaling some friction between both sides. Between that and the presence of Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller in the forward rotation, it makes sense that Washington could be had for the right price.
Washington has a problem with consistency, which may keep him from earning solid minutes with the OKC Thunder. In addition, the OKC Thunder might want to keep the power forward position open for Dieng or Pokusevski to fill off the bench. If one of those two stands out this season, OKC can focus its trade assets elsewhere. If neither shows much growth, then Washington should be kept in the back of Presti’s mind.