Do the Charlotte Hornets have anything to entice high-value free agents this offseason?

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t exactly been the go-to free agent destination over the years, but could that all change this offseason?

It’s no secret that the Charlotte Hornets have made some bad front office decisions more often than not. Fans everywhere have lamented the head-scratching extensions, befuddling trades, and odd free-agent signings. Alas, some relief could finally come… whenever we actually have an actual offseason, that is.

Despite being traded earlier in the year, the contracts of Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are still on the books but, thankfully, will expire after the season. The relatively hefty contract of Bismack Biyombo will also be expiring and it’s likely the Hornets do not re-sign him.

This will free up a little over $45 million in cap space, which is the largest amount of space they’ve had in quite some time. So, what can they do with all of that money? Are there any worthwhile free agents out there?

More from Hornets News

• 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
• 3 Areas that the Charlotte Hornets should see improvement in for 2023-24

Of course. One such notable name is someone who eluded the Hornets way back in 2012. I seriously doubt Anthony Davis would even look the Hornets’ way, especially when he can sign a max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and compete for a title with LeBron James.

So, who else is out there and could the Hornets realistically land them? Well, there is first-time All-Star, Brandon Ingram, but he’s a restricted free agent and the New Orleans Pelicans will certainly look to keep him alongside Zion Williamson to build a contender in the West.

After that, names like DeMar DeRozan and Gordon Hayward are the only other “big name” guys out there. Unfortunately, I don’t see them signing with Charlotte, either, though I’m not sure they’d be the best fit anyhow.

Then you have the guys who the Hornets have a more realistic chance of signing. Names like Fred VanVleet, Danilo Gallinari, or even Andre Drummond, who a few Hornets fans have coveted for a while.

Honestly, I feel like the Hornets would be over-spending for any of those guys, with the exception maybe being Gallinari, who took a huge step in leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to 5th in the West so far this season.

Even lower down, you have guys who have talent but are far from what the Hornets need in order to field a contending team. Names like Montrezl Harrell, Evan Fournier (who I wouldn’t mind seeing in a Charlotte jersey given the right price), or Marcus Morris all sound good on paper, but would likely be a waste on a team still in the rebuilding phase.

That begs the question, though: Even with money, what would make any player want to come to Charlotte in the first place? There is no winning tradition and that doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon.

Not to mention, the organization handled things with Kemba Waker very poorly, leaving them with a very bad look. If the front office can’t even honor their greatest player ever with the contract he deserved and keep him where he wanted to be, what does that say for any new people coming in?

Then again, who knows what the future may bring? Perhaps a certain culture can be cultivated here with the young core they have now, thus leading to a sea change for the Queen City. If other players see the kind of growth shown by Devonte’ Graham, for instance, then maybe that could lure them over.

In any case, the Charlotte Hornets have an uphill battle when it comes to attracting even mid-level players at this point. It might not happen this year or maybe even the next but surely, Charlotte will someday reach the same notoriety and appeal that some of the bigger markets have.