Led by LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, the Charlotte Hornets have cemented themselves as one of the best offensive teams in the NBA this season. Currently 23-19, the Hornets are the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference and they are looking to make it back to the playoffs for the first-time since 2016.
Scoring it as a premium in today’s NBA and while having a great offense is very important, being a great defensive team is also important. In fact, all but two teams since 2000 that have won a title ranked inside the Top-10 in defensive rating during the regular season.
The Hornets currently rank 27th in the league defensively and while they may not be contending for a title this season, they certainly have the offensive talent to surprise many for years to come. Charlotte getting better as a team starts with them being able to improve on the defensive-side of the ball this season, which is why the Hornets need to be looking to upgrade their frontcourt talent at the trade deadline this year.
Mason Plumlee has been a solid addition to this team in place of Cody Zeller and third-year forward P.J. Washington has been a steady presence in the Hornets’ rotations, but Charlotte is not a strong rebounding team and they need someone that can be an avid rim-protector.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets Involving P.J. Washington For Hornets To Consider
Trading away Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier or Kelly Oubre Jr. seems like a long-shot at this point for the Hornets, which is why P.J. Washington could be their only avenue to improving their frontcourt.
While Washington does offer a lot of upside and promise at the power-forward position, he is going to be extension-eligible in the offseason and the Hornets may not be wanting to keep him long-term given that they will have to be paying Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball very soon.
Should they make him available in trade talks at the deadline, P.J. Washington could draw quite a bit of interest around the league. Standing 6’7” and being a great athlete for a frontcourt player, the young forward could be an excellent trade target for a young, rebuilding franchise like the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets Involving P.J. Washington For Hornets To Consider
They are not going to be making the playoffs this season, but the Thunder have been a super competitive team given their inexperience and GM Sam Presti is always willing to talk trades with teams.
Could Oklahoma City look to target P.J. Washington at the trade deadline, giving the Hornets a key frontcourt talent in return to help them with their playoff push?
