The Charlotte Hornets are in an interesting position with NBA free agency underway. They don't have much by way of cap space to make any kind of big splash, but even if they did, they are not a free agent destination. They have a good, young core though for the most part. LaMelo Ball is a rising star. Brandon Miller is a potential star who will form an incredible duo with Ball. The Hornets made the right move to keep Ball around for the foreseeable future despite what anyone may think of the contract numbers. With not much else to do, it is imperative that the Hornets keep PJ Washington in NBA free agency.

Aside from Ball and Miller, the Hornets have a couple of other good, young players in Mark Williams and James Bouknight. Although Bouknight hasn't been given much of a chance, this is a big year for him to show that he is capable of being a quality NBA rotation player. The Hornets also grabbed Nick Smith Jr. and Amari Bailey in the draft to add to their core. They have two players in Kai Jones and JT Thor that they need to see what they have in them and how they can fit in to the future.

What the Hornets don't want to happen this offseason is lose PJ Washington in NBA free agency. He is a restricted free agent so the Hornets have the option to match any offer he receives. They can also go over the cap to re-sign him. There are still teams that have cap space available that could make a play for Washington. The San Antonio Spurs make sense from a fit standpoint.

It's important though that the Hornets keep Washington for two key reasons. The first being that Washington has developed into a good NBA player and he's still young enough to fit with the Hornets core. This past season was his best NBA season yet. He averaged 15.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots with splits of 44.4 percent shooting from the field, 34.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 73 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He started all 73 games he played in at a career-high 32.6 minutes per game.

The second key reason is that in the process of the Hornets trying to become a destination for potential free agents down the line, re-signing a key young player is a good way to ensure that players around the league see that the Hornets take care of their players. Letting him walk would signal that they are not very serious in developing and retaining their own talent.

The Hornets have reported interest in Boston Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams. Williams plays the same position as Washington and would likely affect the Hornets plans surrounding Washington. It would be a mistake to swap Williams for Washington. At this point, Williams is what he is, a backup forward albeit a solid one. Washington is the better player currently and he still has the potential to get better.

PJ Washington is a good fit alongside Miller as the Hornets' two forwards. He's worked on his game and he deserves a chance to grow with this young Hornets core. July 5 is the day that restricted free agents can officially sign offer sheets but the Hornets shouldn't let it get that far.