Charlotte Hornets: 3 Players who might not finish the season in Charlotte

PJ Washington, 23 years old

The 2021-22 season is going to be a very interesting one for PJ Washington. It’s not necessarily a make it or break it year for him, however, with the emergence of Bridges and the signing of Plumlee, Washington could find himself out of the starting lineup.

Washington had a successful rookie campaign during the 2019-20 season. Washington started 57 of his 58 games played and averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. His rookie year had Hornets fans excited, thinking the team had finally drafted that modern-day, stretch big, that the team had been trying to get.

There were a lot of expectations in year two for Washington. Due to the struggles of Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller at the center position, Washington ended up having to play a lot of center, and at times struggled. Washington ended last season averaging 12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Not a big jump from the previous season.

Transitioning between two positions isn’t easy work, so some slack has to be given in this regard as Washington is still a very solid player with good potential. However, with Bridges bursting onto the scene with his performances as a starter and chemistry with Ball, Washington’s only path to start could be at the center position.

Washington will likely get the majority of the minutes at the center position this year, however, Plumlee likely takes command of the starter spot. How Washington responds to this is critical.

There’s a timeline where a player that the Hornets are interested in becomes available, maybe at the center position, and a trade could be centered around Washington as he’s a young player with potential who has lost his spot in Charlotte.