It’s nearly June and there are mock drafts aplenty on the internet. Hornets fans everywhere are surely scouring each one trying to get an idea of who the team will pick. One scenario that could play out seems very interesting and could serve up a double dose of home cooking.
As of now, the Charlotte Hornets hold the number 11 and number 41 picks in the upcoming NBA draft. While most the attention will be on the 11th pick, some fans might be eyeing the 41st pick as well.
Most of the attention in the NBA Draft is often given to the first round, more specifically the lottery picks. That doesn’t mean there can’t be gems in the second round, however. The second round has recently produced players such as DeAndre Jordan, Paul Millsap, and even Draymond Green. Will this year’s draft hold such potential household names? That remains to be seen, but that doesn’t mean a team like the Hornets can’t add a key role player or rotation man with the right pick.
An interesting scenario could play out for the Hornets come draft night. Quite a few mock drafts over the past few weeks have had Charlotte taking UNC forward Justin Jackson. In most mock drafts, the junior out of UNC has been in the 9th-15th range, so he is a possibility.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Still, Zach Collins seems to be the most consistently picked player across all mock drafts. Michael Jordan is a North Carolina alum, however, so don’t count Jackson out. That might not sit well with some fans, but given the chatter across social media over the past month, Zach Collins doesn’t seem to impress fans either.
Could the Hornets gamble on a somewhat unproven commodity?
Personally, I think the 41st pick is just as interesting as the 11th. Will Charlotte keep that pick? Will they try and package it with a player to free up cap space? If they do decide to keep it, one player they could look at is UNC’s Tony Bradley.
In fact, Draftexpress has the Hornets taking Bradley with the 41st pick. The Hornets aren’t necessarily in the need for a big man as they have plenty, but Bradley could prove to be a diamond in the rough.
As a freshman at UNC, he averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 offensive rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. He also shot 56.4% from the field. If the Hornets were to trade one of their big men to offset salary, Bradley could become a useful player off the bench.
Next: Malik Monk is worth trading up for
Personally, I think the pick might be better suited drafting a backup point guard, but I’m not Rich Cho or MJ. Still, many Hornets fans would be wise to see what the team does with the 41st pick as well as the 11th. There’s quite a bit of overlap between Hornets and Tar Heels fans. Would these fans approve of drafting two players from the same school? There’s a slight possibility we may find out on June 22nd.