A very familiar name would come up in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, but back then, people weren’t so sure.
The second round in the NBA Draft can provide teams with quite the steal if they’ve done their homework and so far, it would seem that would be the case when the Charlotte Hornets traded for the rights to the 34th overall pick out of Kansas, Devonte’ Graham, originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks.
His first year was typical of a rookie role-player, with him seeing a large chunk of the year in the G-League, but when this past season came around and the team needed a starting guard, Graham more than stepped up, leading the team in points and assists and is a candidate for Most Improved Player.
The Hornets haven’t really had much success in the second round of the draft, whether through picks themselves or through draft-day trades, so for them to find not only a starter but arguably the new leader of their team, really shows how well the front office performed that night.
Later that round, the Hornets would select Arnoldas Kulboka with the 55th pick. Kulbolka would play in the Summer League for the Hornets, but as of now, he is still playing in Europe, trying to get his game ready for the NBA.
So, just how are we viewing this particular draft almost two years later? With a poor history of draft-day decisions, the Charlotte Hornets will have to do a lot to start winning back fans when it comes to evaluating amateur talent.