The Charlotte Hornets may now be open for a fire sale in the aftermath of the trade that sent Terry Rozier, one of their best players, to the Miami Heat for salary filler (Kyle Lowry) and a protected 2027 first-round pick (that becomes unprotected if it doesn't convey in 2028). To that end, the likes of Miles Bridges and Nick Richards, among others, have reportedly drawn some strong interest on the trade market.

Zach Lowe of ESPN contends that the Oklahoma City Thunder, the current one-seed in the Western Conference following a controversy-riddled victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, should trade for a certain Hornets player. But instead of Bridges, Richards, or even Gordon Hayward, Lowe suggested that the Thunder inquire about versatile forward PJ Washington's availability.

“I’ve mentioned him specifically for Oklahoma City before,” Lowe said on the most recent episode of his podcast, The Lowe Post. “Everybody wants Oklahoma City to go get a center. Chet’s skinny. He gets pushed around every now and then. [But] it’s not that easy to find a great center who fits exactly what they need. If I can’t find that I want a four, I want someone who pencils in right as a four.”

PJ Washington doesn't exactly solve the Thunder's lack of size in certain matchups. The Hornets forward stands at 6-foot-7, which makes him 1 inch smaller than Josh Giddey. But in terms of skillset and the price it would take to get him in a trade, there may not be a more worthwhile target for the Thunder than him.

For starters, Washington has the physique to deal with the more bruising forwards in the association, sparing Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort from that responsibility. Furthermore, the Hornets forward can give the Thunder another defender with active hands along the passing lanes and someone who can space the floor.

The Hornets forward's production is down this year due to the return of Miles Bridges, but it's not too difficult to envision him excelling with the Thunder. He can slot in perfectly as a fourth option, and at an average salary of $15.5 million for the duration of his contract, adding him from the Hornets via trade shouldn't affect the Thunder's future plans of adding another star to bolster their core even further.