Los Angeles Lakers
You can make an argument for the Los Angeles Lakers to target any talented player on the open market, but PJ Washington would make a lot of sense for a team that is constantly dealing with injuries in the frontcourt. Not only would an acquisition of Washington take some of the pressure off of Anthony Davis, but also LeBron James (who’s being asked to play the power forward more and more).
The addition of Washington would give the Lakers an opportunity to load-manage AD without gutting the team’s depth and would allow LeBron to handle the ball a bit more if that’s something he’ll need to do (assuming they trade Russell Westbrook).
Washington is also a young player that’s still growing. Playing next to two great players such as LeBron and AD could unlock more of his potential. He would play to his strengths on this team and would be able to use his athleticism to contribute on a level he simply can’t with the Charlotte Hornets (with all due respect).
Perhaps the Lakers can figure out how to land Washington as part of a bigger trade centered around Westbrook?