Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington is in the final year of rookie contract, and talks of a contract extension have been ongoing for quite some time. While the Hornets and Washington were unable to come to terms on a contract extension during the offseason, some more context was recently provided by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Sources: The Charlotte Hornets offered a four-year, $50-52 million contract extension to PJ Washington before the season. More on what he’s looking for with restricted free agency looming on @hoopshype. https://t.co/fQuC8AecGN
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 15, 2022
What type of deal did the Charlotte Hornets offer P.J. Washington?
Per Scotto, the Hornets offered Washington a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $50 – $52 million, which equates to between $10.5 and $13 million per year.
The deal that the Hornets offered is comparable to a deal made by one of Charlotte’s division rivals, as the Orlando Magic signed Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million extension before the 2021-22 season. For comparison, Carter Jr. averaged 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds during the 2020-21 season, his last before signing his extension. Washington averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season, so a deal in the neighborhood of what Carter Jr. received would seem to be more than fair market value.
What type of deal does P.J. Washington want?
However, as noted by Scotto, Washington was seeking a deal closer to $20 million per year. A recent example of a player who signed this type of deal is San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, who was drafted the same year as Washington. Johnson inked a four-year, $20 million deal with the Spurs this offseason after posting career highs in points (17.0), rebounds (6.1), assists (2.1), and games played (75) in the 2021-22 season. Johnson has proven to be worth the money so far this season, as he is currently averaging 23.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per night.
What type of deal does P.J. Washington deserve?
While there is still plenty of basketball left to be played this season, Washington’s performance so far has been closer to being worthy of a Wendell Carter Jr. type of deal than a Keldon Johnson type of deal. His points per game (14.6) are a career high, but so are his field goal attempts per game (13.0). His rebounds (4.4), steals (0.6), field goal percentage (42.3%), and three-point percentage (33.3%) are all career lows. Washington bet on himself by deciding to not sign the extension offered by the Hornets, and so far, that bet has not paid off.