NBA Draft: Charlotte Hornets scouted in Europe and Australia

With the NBA Draft coming in fast, the Charlotte Hornets will have the opportunity to draft a very talented player.

As many fans know by now, the Charlotte Hornets came out as one of the winners of the NBA Draft Lottery. Fans expected Charlotte to come out with the 8th pick, but the team got lucky and landed the 3rd overall pick.

After the Draft Lottery, Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak spoke with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Bonnell provided the phone call, in which Kupchak spoke about the 3rd pick on Thursday night.

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While on this call with Bonnell, Kupchak stated that he would not just be drafting a player based on the team’s need at a position. Kupchak alluded to drafting the best available player, regardless of what position.

Kupchak went on to tell Nick Carboni of WCNC Charlotte that he doesn’t think the team will bring in players for predraft workouts. Kupchak cited that picking at #3 gives the team an idea of who they will already be picking.

Kupchak continued to say that the Hornets scouted in Australia and Europe prior to the pandemic and travel restrictions. A big-name prospect that played in Australia this past season is LaMelo Ball.

Even though the Hornets did not make the cut to be one of the twenty-two teams in the NBA Bubble, Kupchak told Carboni that he feels like the team has some luck now.

The Hornets have not held the 3rd pick since the 2006 NBA Draft, where the team selected Adam Morrison. The Hornets also had the 3rd pick in 1999, where they selected Baron Davis.

Based on recent draft history, the Hornets seem to be trending up when it comes to drafting. Mitch Kupchak is heading into his third season with the team. His previous two selections in the lottery were Miles Bridges and PJ Washington.

The Charlotte Hornets are expected to participate in the NBA Draft in late October. Fans can expect to see the Hornets back in action in early December.