What is PJ Washington's salary and NBA contract breakdown? We look at the details
Former lottery pick and member of the NBA 2019-20 All-Rookie Second Team, PJ Washington is quickly becoming one of the most important players on the Charlotte Hornets roster.
Starting 61 of the 64 regular-season games that he appeared in this year, the power forward averaged 12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks. If he continues on the same trajectory, improving his numbers on both ends of the court, Washington could be looking at a salary jump next summer when he becomes eligible for a rookie contract extension.
In this article, we will break down PJ Washington's current salary and his contract in the NBA going forward.
Looking at Charlotte Hornets star PJ Washington's contract
The Charlotte Hornets are certainly one of the dark horses in the Eastern Conference. Up until injuries to LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward late in the campaign, the franchise were among the top six seeds and were poised to make their first postseason appearance since 2016.
They have used their high draft picks to put young stars around the aforementioned Ball who won Rookie of the Year last season. PJ Washington is firmly among their collection of key players and has been a consistent starter throughout his two years in the league.
In 2019, when he entered the league, PJ Washington signed a four-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Last December, the ball club exercised its team option for his third year and will have the opportunity to do the same at the end of the 2021-22 campaign or offer him a contract extension. Otherwise, he will become a restricted free agent in 2023.
This year, PJ Washington will earn $4.2m, though he can expect to earn a lot more in the future with the Charlotte Hornets if he wants to stay. He was one of only 11 regular starters last year to average a steal and a block every game and is improving his three-point shot, connecting with 38.6% of efforts during the 2020-21 season.
PJ Washington's contract came under scrutiny recently when rumors picked up on social media that he was going to be paying Instagram model Brittany Renner, the mother of his child, $200k every month for the next 18 years. However, those rumors appear to have been squashed after the 22-year-old took to Twitter to release a swift response.