Charlotte Hornets: Three Undervalued Trade Targets to Pursue

James Johnson

James Johnson is a prime example of a player whose game will age beautifully in the latter stages of his career. The Wyoming native is a journeyman who spent his best years as a stretch four-under Erik Spoelstra in Miami.

Approaching 33-years-old, Johnson’s overpriced contract is likely gettable from a Minnesota franchisee who is looking to fill that cap space with more immediate talent to push their young core into playoff contention imminently.

It was quite baffling when Miami’s brain trust suddenly stopped playing Johnson a few years ago. He was the definition of consistency; guards multiple positions, hustles, rebounds well for his size and can knock down the long ball. He averaged less than 16 minutes a contest before being dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves midseason.

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

However, after having a more featured role under Ryan Saunders, Johnson proved that his stretch four skillset will translate well to a veteran, bench role. He averaged 12 points on 37% shooting from three-point range, and 4.7 rebounds a contest in the Twin Cities.

The big question with Johnson does not pertain to the relevancy of his skillset as his career winds down. Rather, the Wake Forest product must embrace his role as a veteran. If he were to join a rebuilding team, he would have to put previous off the court issues behind him.

Johnson was not permitted at Miami’s training camp in September 2019 due to not meeting the team’s conditioning requirements. Furthermore, he has had his fair share of suspensions and fines as a result of various altercations.

However, toughness is not necessarily a bad attribute for a veteran to have. Johnson, ranked the fourth toughest player in the league in 2018, could light a fire under younger players if channeling this trait correctly.

Jared Dudley, for instance, got Brooklyn’s young core zoned in after picking a fight with Ben Simmons in the 2019 playoffs. This intensity sends a message that younger players shouldn’t go with a fight in the face of a tougher opponent.

Johnson’s ideal modern-day NBA skillset will be valued by any team in a bench role in the waning years of his career. This, combined with a fiery mentality on the court, would do wonders for a young group such as Borrego’s squad.