BBNBA: PJ Washington and Nick Richards combine for 69 points; rumored to be traded

The Charlotte Hornets are cleaning house like Grandma does before visitors come over. Last week, the organization parted ways with former Louisville Cardinal, Terry Rozier, sending him to the Miami Heat for a first-round draft pick, a pack of bubble gum, and two coupons to Bennigans. Oh, Kyle Lowry was in the mix too. Next, they could be preparing to unload one or both of the former Kentucky Wildcats on their team, Nick Richards and PJ Washington.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting the only players safe from the trading block are LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams. That puts Richards and Washington squarely in trade talks before the NBA trade deadline on February 8th.

If these two former ‘Cats are on the move, they are maximizing their trade value. On Saturday, Nick Richards scored a career-high 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots in a starting role. He only missed one shot from the field all night, going 10-11.

Meanwhile, Washington came off the bench and put up 43 points on an efficient 17-22 from the field, including 7-9 from behind the arc. It marks the first time this season and the third time in his career he crested the 40-point milestone.

Together, Richards and Washington combined for 69 out of the Hornets’ 122 points as the team fell to the Utah Jazz.

Washington and Richard rumored to be traded despite freshly signed extensions

PJ Washington signed a three-year, $48 million deal over the summer, but the Hornets’ new ownership group looks to be ready to move on from that commitment. Washington lost his position in the starting lineup this season and has seen his average points per game drop from 15.7 last year down to 12.7 thus far in the 2023-24 campaign. With a finger firmly pressed on the franchise reset button, PJ could very well be taking his mean mug talents to another destination.

As for fourth-year Nick Richards, he too signed a three-year extension with the Hornets, but his deal is worth a mere $15 million. At a career-high 8.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in a freshly minted starting role, his production-per-salary ratio makes him very attractive for contenders with little money to spend. One such contender rumored to be intrigued by Richards is the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker’s team needs a backup center and Richards would fit that bill nicely.

Washington and Richards were the 15th-ranked and 20th-ranked players, respectively, in the 2017 class. After playing together for two seasons at Kentucky, the Hornets drafted Washington in 2019, followed by Richards the following year. They have spent their entire professional careers in Charlotte but that longevity could very well be coming to an end very soon.