The 2022-23 season proved to be a massive letdown for the Charlotte Hornets, as their 27-55 record was the worst since the franchise went 23-42 since the 2019-20 season. This offseason was all about finding ways to improve their roster, as well as retain key members of their young core such as PJ Washington.
However, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Charlotte keeping Washington, as the two sides did not see eye-to-eye on a new contract when free agency began in July. With rival teams looking to spend their money elsewhere and not get involved in Washington's contract situation since he was a restricted free agent, the Hornets ended up dodging a bullet by not having to match a potential offer sheet.
Ultimately, the 2019 first-round pick came to an agreement with his team on a new three-year, $48 million contract that will pay him around $16 million annually. It had been reported throughout the offseason that Washington was not wanting to accept a deal less than $15 million in annual average value.
On Tuesday, the Hornets held an official press conference to welcome their young forward back to the organization. Washington, who began discussing that he always wanted to remain in Charlotte, was quickly cut off by Kupchak.
“That's not what your agent said,” Kupchak stated while smiling, via Buzz Beat Podcast's Richie Randall. Washington immediately began laughing, along with the rest of those in attendance for this press conference.
Of course, Kupchak was just teasing Washington and his agent, but the Hornets general manager would not have said this if there wasn't any truth to his statement. It shouldn't come as a shock if Washington did explore other opportunities to see what kind of offer he could get in free agency, especially since he was a restricted free agent.
Maybe he did always want to remain in Charlotte, but the team was not willing to give him the deal he was seeking early on in the offseason. It never hurts to see what your value is around the league and this is likely why Washington and his agent may have told the Hornets that they were thinking about pursuing other offers, real or fake, in the summer.
Nonetheless, he will begin his fifth NBA season as a member of the Hornets after a stellar 2022-23 campaign. In 73 games with Charlotte last year, all of which he started in, Washington averaged 15.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor.
While they added Miles Bridges and rookie Brandon Miller in the offseason, Washington is still expected to hold a big role in Charlotte at the power forward position. It would be surprising if the team moved him out of the starting rotation after the success he found last season.
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