Three most important players for the Hornets in 2023-24

2. P.J. Washington

The free agency excursion of P.J. Washington lasted significantly longer than anyone would have preferred, but the fifth-year player ultimately returned to Charlotte on a three-year $46.5 million deal. With a salary of just under $17 million for the upcoming season, Washington is Charlotte’s third-highest-paid player this season and is slated to be in that spot on the Hornets’ salary cap table as things stand currently for the remainder of his contract (although, that is subject to change down the line).

Charlotte is counting on Washington to be a meaningful contributor and build off what was a career-best year for him last season. If Washington can provide similar numbers to what he did in 2022-23, 15.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while averaging two made threes per game on 34.8% from deep, it would go a long way for the Hornets this season. The Hornets are going to need a massive uptick in three-pointers made and conversion rate this season, and it appears that Washington is more than capable of helping out in that department.

Even though getting massive contributions from Washington is not the be-all-end-all during the life of his contract, finding a way to carve out a significant role is a must for one of the highest-paid players on this version of the Hornets.