The situation surrounding Hornets forward P.J. Washington has been “amazingly quiet,” Marc Stein states in his latest Substack chat. With nearly a month elapsed since free agency began, Washington remains the most prominent player without a new contract and there’s little indication that the impasse will be resolved soon.
Washington is restricted, so Charlotte can match any offer sheet he might receive, but free agency money dried up weeks ago. No one has the resources to offer him a contract starting at more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of about $12.4M without working out a sign-and-trade. Stein speculates that Washington may decide to accept the Hornets’ $8.5M qualifying offer and test the market again next summer when he’s unrestricted.
That same theory is floated by Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who notes that threatening to take the QO is the only way Washington can gain any leverage in negotiations. Like Stein, Boone reports that everything appears to be “status quo,” but cautions that doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made behind the scenes.
There’s more from Charlotte:
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!