Charlotte Hornets: Everything you need to know about the Dwight Howard trade

Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets sent shockwaves through the Queen City as the eight-time all-star will now be wearing purple and teal.

The Charlotte Hornets made one of the biggest moves in the team’s recent history when they traded for Dwight Howard. They ended up shipping Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli and the 41st pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a shock deal for Howard and the 31st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Now that the dust has settled, what are the true ramifications of the somewhat “blockbuster” trade?

While this isn’t 2011 and Dwight Howard isn’t the perennial Defensive Player of the Year/MVP candidate, he is still a solid center in the NBA. The 31-year old managed to put up 13.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG and 1.2 BPG while shooting 63.3% from the field and 53.3% from the free throw line. I think the most important part of his game last year was his availability as Howard played 29.7 MPG in 74 appearances.

While those number might look a bit pedestrian, it’s worth noting that Dwight put up 53 double-doubles last season which was the sixth most in the NBA (38 more than Nicolas Batum who led Charlotte with 15) and the most in a season for the big man since the 2010-11 season. Sam Perley also pointed out that Howard and Andre Drummond (each in 2017-17) were the only two players EVER to average 13p/12r/1b while playing under 30 minutes per game.

Still think Dwight Howard is “washed?”

Draft implications

First things first, the draft is of utmost importance for Charlotte. Before anything else can happen, the NBA Draft will take place. The Hornets own the 11th overall pick in the first round and the 31st overall in the second. By adding Dwight, it almost guarantees that the team won’t take Zach Collins, Lauri Markkanen (both players also didn’t work out for CHA), John Collins and Justin Patton with their lottery pick.

Speculate between Donovan Mitchell, Luke Kennard and Justin Jackson because those are the three most likely candidates for Charlotte to with their first pick. As for their second round pick, it is essentially a late first round selection being the first pick of the second round. That means the Hornets could grab a first round talent or someone who falls a couple of spots on draft night. Those 10 spots might not seem like a lot but by moving up, they will be able to add yet another role player who could make an immediate impact in Steve Clifford’s rotation.

Reunion with Steve Clifford

Fit and comfortability can’t be stressed enough in the NBA. When a player fits well with a team and likes his teammates/coaches/front office/ etc. they will more than likely play better on the court. Steve Clifford coached Howard in Orlando and Los Angeles and he has been trying to get him in Charlotte for some time. The team tried to trade for Dwight at the trade deadline in 2016 and they tried to sign him last summer in free agency. The reunion with Clifford and the Hornets actually wanting Howard should bode well for the eight-time all-star.

Lineup change for Charlotte

I would be surprised if Kemba Walker/Nicolas Batum/ MKG/ Marvin Williams/Cody Zeller was the team’s starting five to being the season. The Hornets aren’t going to pay Howard over $23 million to come off of the bench. And with the emergence of Cody Zeller, they can’t afford to relegate him to the bench. That means a lineup change is coming.

I think the starting lineup show be Kemba/Nic/Marvin/Zeller/Howard. Steve Clifford even said that Cody and Dwight will play “big minutes” together. It’s definitely an experiment lineup but I think it puts the team’s best five players on the court. Alternatively, I could see Kemba/Nic/MKG/Marvin/Howard but the problem I have with that group is that MKG and Howard don’t compliment each other well as both are not floor spacers. Regardless, I think Dwight is going to be the starting center to being next season.

Impact on the court

The biggest impact that Howard is going to make will be on the boards. He isn’t going to score 20+ a night but he will 10+ rebounds as he’s done so for every season of his career so far. That’s good news for a team whose leading rebounder was a 6’7 small forward who averaged 7.0 RPG. Even though Charlotte was the second best defensive rebounding team in the league, they ranked only 20th in rebounding percentage and 27th in offensive rebounding percentage. (NBA.com)

Dwight should fix that right off the bat as he is a menace on the glass averaging 4.0 offensive rebounds per game last year. Also, he should dominate in dives to the hoop in pick and roll situations. Kemba Walker has already proven to be one of the best pick and roll ball handlers/scorers and that is where Howard can excel as he has the ability to catch and finish in traffic.

Salary cap ramifications

The best part of this deal was not getting Howard. It was moving Plumlee and his massive contract. Even though Dwight is scheduled to make almost twice as much as Miles over the next two seasons, that is when his deal ends. Plumlee’s goes through the 2019-20 season. Just like Howard, Kemba’s contract is up after the 2018-19 season.

Why is this important?

Becuase by moving Miles, the Hornets will have enough cap space to re-sign Kemba to a max deal and make it work in their favor salary cap wise. While they likely would’ve signed him anyway with Plumlee still on the team, it would’ve forced Charlotte to use Walker’s bird rights and go over the salary cap. Now, as Spencer Percy pointed out, the “ability to fit deal into space magnifies flexibility in ’19.”

The move for Dwight also doesn’t affect the team’s free agency plans too much this summer. They are still over the cap and only have a Mid-Level Exception and Bi-Annual Exception to spend on free agents. While they will no longer have the max MLE, they should still have enough to sign a quality role player. Here’s a detailed look at their salary cap situation.

Rich Cho just getting started?

Are there more moves to come for the Hornets? Only time will tell but this trade could just be the start of things for the Queen City team. Jeremy Lamb and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are the two names that jump out as possible players on the trade block. Also, if the Cody Zeller-Howard tandem doesn’t work in the first half of the season, there is a good chance one of the two big men could be moved at the trade deadline.

Next: 5 players to avoid in 2017 NBA Draft

One thing that is for sure is that it will be an interesting season for the Charlotte Hornets. They now have a big name player/third player to add to the backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. Bottom line, this team has to make the playoffs and challenge for a spot in the second round.