Trading up in the NBA Draft is difficult but it would be worth it if the Charlotte Hornets moved to get Jayson Tatum.
The Charlotte Hornets would have to trade up in order to select Duke SF Jayson Tatum, as he’s been mocked from as high as the third pick and as low as the seventh pick. Although a team in the top 5 hasn’t traded down since 2008, Kevin O’Connor makes an excellent case as to why it might happen this year.
The 6’8″ 205 lb. prospect comes equipped with few holes in his game. DraftExpress praises his footwork and ability to create and open shot. Additionally, Tatum brings his 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game to the table, meaning he can contribute on defense too.
The unusual polish and refinement of his skills for such a young player is why Tatum is so highly touted as a prospect. He can still score and create without elite tier athleticism, and he will continue to grow and become more consistent as he ages and gets a better feel for the game.
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Why the Hornets specifically though? A look at Reddit user /u/eceuiuc‘s post on how teams scored reveals our answer. The Hornets were above league average in percentage of points scored by pick and roll ball handler and cuts (thanks, Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist). However, a look at the efficiency of those two plays suggests the cuts are more effective, scoring 1.286 points per play as opposed to .877.
Trading up for Tatum would naturally slot him at the SF position. Tatum only shot 34% from deep in college, but showed promise as an 85% free throw shooter, making him at least a respectable option from deep. More importantly, this frees up MKG to move to a small ball power forward role.
Kidd-Gilchrist played there sparingly this season, but should certainly be able to handle it at 6’7″ 232 lbs, and with a nice wingspan to boot. Having Tatum on the three point line provides better court spacing, meaning Kidd-Gilchrist has more room to make his devastatingly effective cuts and slashes.
Advanced stats love both Tatum and Kidd-Gilchrist. Tatum’s PER of 22.0 and BPM of 7.5 are both outstanding, and most advanced stats concur that the Hornets are better when Kidd-Gilchrist plays. With the tandem of Tatum’s offense at the 3 and Kidd-Gilchrist’s defense at the 4, the Hornets would be set with their forwards of the future for a long time.
This is by no means a perfect solution. Clifford is notorious for not playing rookies very much, and, of course, there’s no guarantee that Tatum pans out. That’s not to mention what the Hornets would have to trade away as well in order to move up. Presumably, the Hornets would have to give up one of their young assets like Jeremy Lamb or Frank Kaminsky, or Billy King themselves and give up multiple future firsts.
Furthermore, the Hornets would have to find a willing partner to trade back, and outside of scant rumors, it doesn’t feel like any team is confident doing that. The Hornets could target the Kings who have two top 10 picks, or perhaps the Magic or Timberwolves, who pick at 6 and 7 respectively.
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However, Tatum appears to be a surefire prospect, who will contribute from day one. The security in having the forwards of the future in place is a tantalizing prospect, and all the stats are there to back up that it’d work. So sure, it doesn’t have the same ring as the past mantras of “Riggin’ for Wiggins” or “Play like clowns for Towns“, but it’s time for the Hornets to consider “Trade Up for Tatum”. (It works if you say it slow. Kind of. Just go with me.)