Kicking off the Charlotte Hornets’ tank with five potential trade ideas

With the Charlotte Hornets struggling mightily this season, it could be time for them to take a page out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ book. Check out these five trade ideas on how to start the tank.

Early season hope has evaporated for Charlotte Hornets fans, as they’ve now lost seven of their last eight. Their 10-16 record is good for third worst in the Eastern Conference. The question for Hornets fans now is not if to start the tank, it’s when. Here are some ideas for Charlotte to cash out on their assets now and gather some picks for down the road:

1. Nic Batum to New Orleans

Batum missed the first 12 games of the season with a torn ligament in his elbow. It appears he’s still struggling with that injury, averaging 10 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds this year. Those numbers are down from 15 points, six assists, and six rebounds a year ago. His shooting percentages are also down, as he’s shooting a lowly 22.4% from deep this year. It may be time for the Nicolas Batum era in Charlotte to come to an end.

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Enter the New Orleans Pelicans. Currently sitting at 13-13, the Pels are in the glut of the race for the playoffs in the Western Conference. Right now they’re sitting in the 7th seed behind the talents of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Although their big man rotation is set with those two, their wing depth is among the weakest in the league.

The potential trade? Nic Batum for Omer Asik and Solomon Hill plus a protected first-round pick.

For Charlotte, this trade gets Batum off the books, whose contract lasts four more years. Asik and Hill both have three years left on their deals, so they’re not expiring, but getting rid of Batum’s albatross of a contract is a good idea. Solomon Hill has been injured with a torn hamstring thus far, but the 26-year-old forward has shown flashes of talent before, most notably in the Pacers-Raptors playoff series two seasons ago. Omer Asik has returned this season after a mysterious absence attributed to an illness that caused him to miss 51 games last year. He would likely be a minor contributor, if not waived.

For New Orleans, they acquire a capable contributor on the wing, something they’ve desperately missed the past two seasons. Even though Batum has shot poorly this year, defenses still have to respect him, and that opening up of the court is crucial for AD and Boogie. Finally, it proves to Cousins that they’re willing to make moves for him.

This is a win now trade for New Orleans, to shore up their biggest hole and push for a playoff spot this year. Proving to Cousins they want to make moves for him increases the likelihood he re-signs this off-season. That alone would make this trade worthwhile for New Orleans.