Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Charlotte Hornets: The realistic and longshot free agent targets

By Joe Fisher

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Christian Wood #35 of the Detroit Pistons pulls in a rebound in front of Troy Brown Jr. #6 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Christian Wood #35 of the Detroit Pistons pulls in a rebound in front of Troy Brown Jr. #6 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Charlotte Hornets
Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Needs

Before we dive into the free-agent class, let’s analyze what this roster needs. For a team that finished near the bottom of the league, the easy answer is EVERYTHING. But with young pieces like Graham and Washington, along with Miles Bridges, we can assume there are a couple of areas that are solid.

With that said, Anthony Davis is not walking through the door this summer. The same is true for Montrezl Harrell, who has developed his face-up game to become perhaps the second biggest prize without a contract.

Looking at perimeter options, there is next to no chance Gordon Hayward opts out of his sizable $34 million contracts next season. Even if he did, why would he choose Charlotte? And if he did that, why would Charlotte want to pay up for him? That’s a ‘no’ from both sides.

Demar Derozan: see Gordon Hayward.

Brandon Ingram would be the dream catch at the wing for the Hornets but he will be one of the more highly sought scorers on the market.

As for big-name vets, Charlotte rolled the dice on Dwight Howard to mixed results and is unlikely to do the same with Demarcus Cousins. Likewise, Cousins has done the franchise-in-flux thing before and isn’t about to hitch his wagon to another team struggling to establish its identity. Portland seems to hold all of the cards on Carmelo Anthony who increased his stock with a strong campaign.

Home/Hornets News