Charlotte Hornets: Should the team take a look at Dewayne Dedmon?
As the Charlotte Hornets head into January, should the team prepare to make a trade before the NBA trade deadline?
With the Charlotte Hornets continuing to progress through the season, fans continue to see the need for an upgrade at the center position. The Hornets’ recent loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night was a great example of it.
Out of every team in the NBA, the Hornets are ranked 29th in defensive rebounds per game with 31.6. A big reason for this ranking is the play that the Hornets have been getting from Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo.
As the trade deadline continues to come fast, the Hornets may start to look at options to upgrade their center position. If the Hornets are looking for an easy trade, they may have a chance at trading with the Sacramento Kings for Dewayne Dedmon.
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On Friday, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, that Dedmon wanted to be traded away from the Kings. This speaks for itself, as Dedmon does not want to play for Sacramento anymore.
Dedmon is a player that many thought would be the King’s next answer at the Center position after the team lost Willie Cauley-Stein in free agency. Dedmon started in his first four games with the Kings, but since then, he has been riding the bench.
One of the main reasons why Dedmon has been restricted to the bench was because of the emergence of Richaun Holmes. With Holmes playing well, Dedmon has only seen an average of 13.6 minutes per game.
While dealing with limited playing time, Dedmon has only played in 23 games this season. So far this season, Dedmon has managed to average 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
The limited playing time has caused Dedmon’s numbers to dramatically drop, and as a result of this, Dedmon is having one of his worst statistical seasons as of late. Dedmon is coming off the best season of his career with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018-19 season, but he’s barely received the playing time that he was expecting.
As Dedmon is currently serving the first year of his 3-year $40 million dollar contract, he seems to be an easy option for the Hornets to pick up. The Hornets could exchange a similar expiring contract for Dedmon.
Dedmon is a defensive-minded big that could assist Charlotte with their defense in the paint, while also providing some help on offense. A change of scenery would likely be beneficial for Dedmon.
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Charlotte has been hesitant around the trade deadline, and they have rarely made moves. With the team struggling at the Center position, the Hornets could take a chance at Dedmon if the price is right.