The Hornets signed Washington (foot) to a three-year, $48 million contract Saturday, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Washington will remain in Charlotte after spending the first four years of his career with the franchise. In 2022-23, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 32.6 minutes across 73 appearances. Washington missed the final four games of last season with a foot injury but is set to begin the 2023-24 campaign as the Hornets' starting power forward, though he could be moved to a bench role when Miles Bridges is reinstated following his 10-game suspension.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Season over
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Washington (foot) is out for Sunday's tilt against the Cavaliers.
Washington will miss four straight games to conclude the season. The fourth-year big finishes the 2022-23 regular season with averages of 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 32.6 minutes -- the points and minutes represent career marks.
Washington (foot) is out for Friday's game versus Houston.
Washington will miss his third straight game Friday due to a right foot sprain. JT Thor has started in his absence and will likely line up for another Friday. Washington's next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with the Cavaliers, although he could sit out that game too, with the Hornets already eliminated from playoff contention.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Sitting again Tuesday
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Washington (foot) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Toronto.
The Hornets will be without several players once again Tuesday, and Washington will sit for a second consecutive game. Kai Jones should continue to see increased run against the Raptors, while Washington's next chance to play will be Friday against Houston.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Will not play Sunday
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Washington (foot) will not play Sunday against Toronto.
The Hornets will be missing a total of seven players for Sunday's contest, and that includes most of their key players. Coach Steve Clifford mentioned that he may experiment with Kai Jones as a power forward, so that is something to watch for Sunday.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Termed questionable for Sunday
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Washington (foot) is considered questionable for Sunday's game versus the Raptors.
Washington departed Friday's game versus the Bulls prematurely due to a right foot sprain, so the questionable tag is at least a decent sign. Even so, the Hornets will presumably take every possible precaution with the big man, given the team's position well outside of the playoff picture.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Still sporting limp Saturday
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Head coach Steve Clifford indicated Saturday that Washington still has a limp after spraining his ankle Friday night, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
Washington logged 12 minutes before leaving Friday's contest, racking up eight points, two boards and two assists. With only four games left in the regular season and the Hornets well out of the playoff picture, the team will likely err on the side of caution to ensure the big man doesn't further damage the ankle. Clifford suggested the Hornets could have as few as 10 players available against the Raptors on Sunday, so Washington may have plenty of teammates sidelined with him.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Won't return due to foot sprain
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Washington suffered a right foot sprain and will not return to Friday's game against the Bulls, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Washington lasted just 11 minutes Friday, finishing with eight points, two rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers. The Hornets have been super cautious with all their key players in recent weeks, and this could be another case of that. If Washington misses additional time, we could see a lot of JT Thor for the Hornets.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Explodes for career-high 43 points
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Washington finished with 43 points (16-24 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 6-7 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal across 37 minutes during Tuesday's 137-134 victory over the Thunder.
With the Hornets down numerous regulars, Washington stepped up and was lights out en route to a career-high 43 points. The fourth-year forward also dished out his most assists since Dec. 7, when he posted a season-high seven dimes. Over his last 10 appearances, Washington has averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks, and he figures to remain the Hornets' go-to playmaker as long as Gordon Hayward (thumb), Kelly Oubre (shoulder), Terry Rozier (foot) and Dennis Smith (toe) are sidelined.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Double-double against Mavs
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Washington posted 21 points (9-22 FG, 3-8 3Pt), 12 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal over 31 minutes during Sunday's 110-104 victory over the Mavericks.
It's his first double-double in over a month, and his third of the season. Washington has found some consistency lately, scoring in double digits in nine of the last 10 games and averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 boards, 2.1 assists, 1.9 threes, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals over that stretch.
Washington ended with 12 points (5-16 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 31 minutes during Friday's 121-82 loss to Philadelphia.
Washington chipped in across the board, contributing in all the major categories in a modest yet serviceable performance. The Hornets were completely outclassed Friday, so managers should be thrilled with the fact Washington was able to play meaningful minutes. However, he was a team-worst minus-36.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Balanced outing in 20-point game
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Washington provided 20 points (6-15 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 7-11 FT), five rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals in 28 minutes during Thursday's 113-103 victory over the Pistons.
Washington was one of three Hornets to score 20 or more points Thursday, and he led the team in blocks and steals in just 28 minutes of action. Washington has surpassed the 20-point mark 19 times this season, adding five or more rebounds in 13 of those outings.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Struggles in return
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Washington (foot) accumulated eight points (3-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt), eight rebounds and three assists over 36 minutes during Sunday's 102-86 loss to the Nets.
Washington was back in the lineup after missing four consecutive games due to a foot injury. The Hornets are simply playing for lottery balls at this point in the season, something that could go one of two ways for Washington. With LaMelo Ball (ankle) done for the season, the Hornets will have more usage to go around for most of the core pieces on offense. Though Washington will likely feature a bit more prominently on the offensive end as a result, his lack of efficiency could be an issue down the stretch, especially for anyone not punting the field-goal percentage category.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Available to play
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Washington (foot) will be available to play Sunday against the Nets.
Washington is back after a four-game stint on the sidelines, and his return will likely result in JT Thor returning to the second unit and Nick Richards' minutes could dip. Washington may have his minutes monitored in his first game back, but he's safe to activate in season-long settings.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Probable Sunday
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Washington (foot) is probable for Sunday's matchup against the Nets, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
After four missed games with a sprained right foot, Washington is expected back Sunday, which should push JT Thor to the bench. Before Washington's absence, he was on a seven-game stretch with averages of 19.3 points, 6.4 boards, 2.1 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.0 steals in 34.3 minutes.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Ruled out Friday
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Washington (foot) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Magic, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Washington was considered doubtful for Friday's matchup, so his unavailability is unsurprising. Coach Steve Clifford said Washington could return during the Hornets' upcoming road trip but noted that Thursday's matchup against Detroit would be more likely than either of the team's matchups in New York early in the week.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Expected to sit Friday
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Washington (foot) is doubtful for Friday's game versus Orlando.
Washington will likely miss his fourth straight game Friday with a right foot sprain. If the 24-year-old forward is ultimately ruled out, his next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with Brooklyn.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Downgraded to out
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Washington (foot) has been ruled out for Wednesday's matchup against the Suns.
Washington will miss a third consecutive contest due to a right foot sprain. He was spotted Tuesday without a walking boot, so he appears to be making progress and may be back in the mix soon. JT Thor figures to remain in the starting lineup until Washington is cleared to return.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Unlikely to play against Phoenix
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Washington (foot) is doubtful for Wednesday's game versus the Suns.
Washington will likely miss his third straight game Wednesday due to a right foot sprain. JT Thor will likely continue to start in his absence. If Washington is officially ruled out, his next chance to suit up will be Friday's matchup with Orlando.
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Hornets' P.J. Washington: Sheds walking boot
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Washington was spotted at the Hornets' practice session Tuesday and wasn't sporting a walking boot to protect his sprained right foot, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Washington's ability to ditch the boot seems like a positive sign, but it's unclear if he was able to do anything more than light shooting Tuesday, as he didn't appear to be wearing his usual practice gear. The Hornets should provide an updated injury report later Tuesday, which will shed more light on Washington's status heading into Wednesday's game against the Suns. The foot issue has sidelined Washington for both of Charlotte's last two games.
