2. PJ Washington, restricted
PJ Washington has been one of the more underrated (and underappreciated) young players in the league. Part of that is the fact that he plays for the Charlotte Hornets and the other part is that he is, at times, inconsistent. However, as one of the headlining free agents that are expected to make a splash in the second wave of free agency, his market could be interesting.
At least in my opinion, Washington is one of the more intriguing free agents in this year’s class. He’s just 24 years old and is coming off the best year of his career – averaging 16 points and five rebounds on 35 percent shooting from 3-point range. Considering he’s a restricted free agent, there’s a very good chance he remains in Charlotte.
But I’d almost be equally interested if he found a way to play for a team that is a bit more ahead from a rebuilding standpoint than the Hornets. It could ultimately come down to what the market sets its price at. If it’s too high, I could easily see Charlotte letting him walk. If it’s fair, he probably re-signs with the Hornets.