3 Ways the Charlotte Hornets Can Use Their Cap Space Without Signing a Free Agent

Brooklyn Nets

Upon acquiring two huge free agents in the 2019 offseason in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and signing Hall of Fame former point guard Steve Nash as head coach earlier this year, the Nets surely have their sights set on a 2020-21 title run.

After essentially punting last season with Kevin Durant recovering all year from an Achilles tear and Irving playing only 20 games with his own injury, next season’s day-to-day roster will look radically different from last year’s.

While some think the Nets would be best served to trade for that elusive third star, Brooklyn GM Sean Marks has gone on record to say retaining sweet shooter Joe Harris on a contract extension is their top priority this offseason. This could mean the Nets are in the business of offloading Taurean Prince’s $13.9 million this year to avoid going deep into the luxury tax.

Prince had a down year last season, but at his best, he fits a valuable player archetype in the league as a defensively versatile 3-and-D wing. Turning 27 next season, Prince is on the upper end of the Charlotte Hornets’ timeline going forward.

If he is able to rehabilitate his statline, he could be a valuable wing who can guard the perimeter, fits well in James Borrego’s defensive switching schemes, and hopefully boost the team’s 3 point shooting. He can also be flipped to a contending team for assets if he is able to improve:

• CHA receives Prince, 2020 pick swap (19 for 32), 2021 second-round pick via Atlanta. BKN receives 2020 pick swap (32 for 19) and $13.9 million trade exception.

In this trade, the Nets are essentially trading down in this year’s draft and sending what projects to be a high-to-mid second-rounder in 2021 to offload Prince’s contract. Additionally, they gain a valuable traded player exception that they could use during the season to bolster their roster (Robert Covington?).

This allows the Hornets to move into the first round for a second time in 2020 and take a swing on high-ceiling-low-floor players like Tyrell Terry in that range, as well as stock up on future picks for 2021.

• CHA receives Prince, Nicolas Claxton, 2021 second-round pick via Atlanta. BKN receives 2020 32nd pick, $13.9 traded player exception.

This trade assumes the Nets would prefer to keep their pick this year and gives them another high second-rounder to fill out the roster with cheap players who can find a spot in the rotation. They maintain their large exception from the previous trade.

While players, coaches, and the Brooklyn front office appear to be very high on their young second-round pick from the last draft and may be reluctant to give him up, Nicolas Claxton is a talented and versatile young player at just 21 years old who could give the Hornets much-needed depth and upside in the frontcourt. Charlotte could prefer the potential Claxton has shown so far as opposed to the players they see as available in the range of the 19th pick.

Don’t worry, this Nic gets paid a lot less than the one currently on the Hornets’ roster.