Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets trade back, Pick Dwayne Bacon at No. 40

By Jerry Stephens

Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) during the first half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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A Charlotte Hornets’ tradition like no other. Rich Cho traded back from No 31 and the team ended up selecting Dwayne Bacon 40th overall.

The Charlotte Hornets made their pick in the second round but it took a little bit longer than expected. When the night started, they held the 31st pick that they got in the Dwight Howard trade but they traded it in order to move back to No. 40 and select Dwayne Bacon. Shams Charania was first on both the trade and the pick.

Charlotte traded the 31st overall pick, which they used to draft Frank Jackson (Duke), to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for cash considerations and the 40th overall pick. With the selection that they acquired, the Hornets ended up taking the 6’6 small forward from Florida State. When all is said and done, the team only picked one spot ahead of where their original second rounder was.

The move makes a lot of sense salary cap wise for Charlotte. The NBA salary cap for the 2017-18 season will only be $99 million which is $3 million lower than the projected $102. The Hornets were dangerously close to being over the tax threshold and by getting cash for the 30th pick, they will probably be able to stay under the tax cap.

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Taking a look at Bacon, he averaged 17.2 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game during his sophomore year. He managed to shoot 51.6% from inside the arc, 33.3% from three and 75.4% from the free throw line. His wingspan was measured at 6’10” and the Florida native recorded a 36.5″ max vertical jump.

Even though he didn’t workout Dwayne, Rich Cho did scout him at the Roc Nation pro day. He impressed the team enough for them to take a chance on him in the second round. DraftExpress.com had Bacon as the 74th overall prospect int heir top-100.

Expect Dwayne to play most of next season in the NBA G-League with the Greensboro Swarm. Unless he shows real promise in the summer league, it is unlikely that he will be on the Hornets’ 15-man regular season roster to star the year. Still, this move gives them depth on the wing as he can be called up in an emergency.

Next: Everything you need to know about the D12 trade

It will be interesting to see how Bacon plays during the summer league and in training camp. He has an outside shot at making Charlotte’s roster. It’s good to see the team keep (kinda) a second round pick.