Charlotte Hornets Round Table Discussion: Potential Moves

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Oct 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; The basketball court for the Charlotte Hornets sports the new logo before the opening home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

The Charlotte Hornets may be done in free agency this offseason but that does not mean that more moves aren’t coming. What changes could be made to the roster?

With the offseason upon us and all of the big names already swooped up off of the free agent market, we here at Swarm and Sting take a look at some potential moves that the Charlotte Hornets could make. The team made plenty of moves this summer but they have always been active in trades. General Manager, Rich Cho, and the front office may be looking to make moves this offseason.

1. Earlier reports indicated that Charlotte was looking to deal Spencer Hawes to clear cap space. Would this still be a trade that the team should pursue or should they keep Hawes this season?

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Jerry Stephens (@JR_Steph23): I don’t believe that the Charlotte Hornets should keep Hawes for this season. There is no reason to keep his $5.7 million contract on the books for this year. He will likely accept his player option for next year as well so it would be best to move him before the season starts. With Cody Zeller and Roy Hibbert ahead of him on the roster at center, Spencer seems to be the odd man out of the rotation. Frank Kaminsky will also get plenty of minutes at power forward and center next year. Hawes’ minutes will be limited and the team should still be looking to deal him this summer as they try to dump his salary.

Luke Spencer (@SvenGalitiger): It’s not completely necessary for the Hornets to trade Spencer Hawes. If they can include Hawes in a package deal for a decent wing player then I would say they should go for it. Him and Jeremy Lamb will be the two Hornets on the trading block this upcoming season regardless of how well they play. However, the 7-footer has a unique skillset at the five. He’s a very good passer and can shoot the three well enough to be a threat if left alone at the three-point line. It was also common for Clifford to insert Hawes in the line-up in tight games with the Hornets in possession because Hawes is a very good at passing from out-of-bounds.

However, Hawes is not very athletic and is not a good post scorer by any means. I do like that Hawes brings a different look at the Center position though, and sometimes I believe fans are little too dismissive of what he brings to the table. But if Frank Kaminsky’s development stays on track (as evidenced by his 20lb weight gain this summer) Hawes will be less useful and even more expendable for the Hornets. I’m personally indifferent if the Hornets trade him or not this season. He’s a quality 3rd Center and can be useful at various times during the season.

Max Seng (@MaxaSeng): Hawes has been a trendy guy in the past for teams to pursue, but his best year came in 2013-14 with Philadelphia when he shot over 40% from three in over 30 minutes per game. I understand the appeal Charlotte saw in signing him by conjuring up memories of Josh McRoberts, but he’s nowhere near the threat off the bounce. He’s proved in stints with the Clippers and now Hornets he’s not a guy off the bench who provides that energy and spark coaches look for. With that being said, $5.7 million for Hawes isn’t a backbreaker, and to be honest I’m not really sure what the market is for him anymore.

Hawes is a 7 footer who shoots 42 percent inside the three point line, doesn’t protect the rim and doesn’t hunt down rebounds. When his shot isn’t falling, he’s easy to pass up. It’s a crowded frontcourt in Charlotte; best case scenario he finds his niche among the bench mob and gives 10-15 good minutes a night. With that being said, backup bigs have been changing area codes in favor of major pay raises this offseason- maybe Charlotte can convince Toronto or Golden State to take a flyer on Hawes in exchange for a future second round pick and a springy wing player on a rookie deal.

Deshawn White (@DeDashCray): Financially, I really see the reasoning behind the move. Also, in every other way I see the reason for moving Hawes. He’s a good player, but he’s really taking up a roster space that the team could be using to develop another young player. Hawes can still pay in this league, and the Hornets have usually been good with sending players to good destinations.

Max Teddy (@MaxwellTeddy): If there is a team willing to take Spencer’s contract, I think it would be in the best interest of the team to move on. The Hornets would have to bundle Hawes with another player(s) and/or some draft picks to attract teams, but there are too many big men on the roster now to warrant keeping him. Also, Hawes’ contributions to the team last season don’t seem to match the cap space he takes up.

Laieke Abebe (@StrikaNation24_): I don’t believe Spencer Hawes should be kept past this season, but the biggest question is will there be any takers? Hawes’ deal includes a player option of slightly over $6 million and he’s most likely going to opt in. He’s still only 27 years old so he can still play more years in the NBA if he can get his shooting percentages to improve next season.

The best way to trade him would be to make a package deal with picks and players and see if a team can take a flyer on that. Jeremy Lamb’s contract extension also kicks in this coming season so maybe he could be thrown in the trade package in an attempt to intrigue other teams. Hawes didn’t perform to the level of his current contract and with how much frontcourt depth the Hornets have currently, he could be expendable.

Next: Who Should the team Trade For?

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