Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft — 6. P.J. Washington, Minnesota Timberwolves
Very few teams regret the 2019 NBA Draft like Minnesota, who selected the since-traded and borderline unplayable Jarrett Culver at No. 6 overall. There’s still some hope for Culver with a new organization, but he’s never going to return top-10 value. For the Wolves, P.J. Washington is their mulligan.
Washington is the perfect frontcourt complement to Karl-Anthony Towns. He can run alongside him, and fill the spare minutes at center, giving Minnesota both skill and lineup flexibility. Washington slashed .440/.386/.745 from the field last season, and established himself as a core piece of Charlotte’s future. He would be equally important in Minnesota.
On offense, Washington is an excellent tertiary talent. Towns’ shooting would give him room to bully smaller defenders at the rim, while on the flip side, he can clear out and give Towns space to work inside. Defensively, Washington would immediately elevate a team that has struggled mightily on that end.