Sixers: 3 players to target with the Al Horford trade exception

Potential Sixers trade targets using TPE: P.J. Washington

Making a deal for P.J. Washington comes down to one key question: is Charlotte willing to part with him? Washington was a key player for the new-look Hornets last season, starting 61 games and sliding in nicely alongside young star LaMelo Ball. It’s unlikely that the Hornets want to move on from such a promising young player, especially one still under team control for two seasons.

There’s always a chance, though, that the team has no interest in extending Washington. The stretch four will likely command a high salary in restricted free agency, and if the Hornets don’t want to match it, they could proactively move Washington now before contract negotiations begin to get ugly. The Hornets might also want to clear playing time in a crowded frontcourt, with Miles Bridges ready to fill in at power forward and draft picks JT Thor and Kai Jones waiting in the wings.

A Washington trade is still unlikely at this juncture, but if the team decides they don’t want to pay him in two years’ time, they could pawn him off on the Sixers as a two-year rental — especially if Philadelphia added a second-tier young talent to sweeten the deal.

Were he to join the Sixers, Washington would immediately replace Georges Niang as the team’s backup power forward and potentially even compete for the backup center job. He’s more proven than any of the team’s other options at those positions; after averaging more than 12 points and five rebounds per game in each of his first two seasons, Washington clearly deserves to play heavy minutes, and his upside as a scoring big is tantalizing.

Pulling off a trade for the power forward with just Philly’s TPE and picks is unlikely, but if things go south in Charlotte this season and for whatever reason Washington and the Hornets can’t agree on a contract extension, he might become available as a quality rotation piece with upside.