Detroit Pistons restricted free agent targets: PJ Washington
I was a little surprised that Washington and the Hornets did not reach a deal on an extension this offseason, but this is most likely due to the downward trend of the overarching organization. You can draw a lot of similarities between Washington with Johnson, strong forwards who can rim run and shoot the three, which would be a huge addition talent wise, depth wise, and age wise to the Detroit Pistons roster.
Washington is a slightly lower volume and less accurate 3-point shooter compared to Johnson, however when Washington is hot he really keeps it going, notably knocking down seven threes in a single game during his rookie season. Ironically, he’s been a bit of a Pistons-killer during his short time in the league, shooting over 45 percent from three and 57 percent from the field against Detroit on his career.
It seems that Washington is likely a part of Charlotte’s future, unless they decide to strip everything down to the studs after this season. If he finds himself sitting as a RFA as the free agency period begins, the Pistons would be a good suitor to throw an offer sheet due to their timeline, cap room, and path forward that is much clearer than Charlotte in my opinion.