Swarm and Sting
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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) /
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Charlotte Hornets
Oklahoma City Thunder Danilo Gallinari . (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Other good fits

Backcourt: D.J. Augustin, Chris Chiozza, Brad Wanamaker, Evan Fournier, Langston Galloway, Malik Beasley.

Wing: Josh Jackson, Torrey Craig.

Frontcourt: Dario Saric, Jakob Poeltl, Aron Baynes, Harry Giles III.

Longshots

Don’t say never on these players, but landing them is still unlikely.

Danilo Gallinari, SF

Danilo Gallinari’s skill set will make him a target for teams higher in the food chain than the Hornets. He averaged 18.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg for Oklahoma City while staying a solid 40.5 percent from three.

It’s probably that Gallinari is on the move with OKC seeming to shift focus to the future. He’s been stuck with middle-of-the-pack teams throughout his career and now is the time for him to grab a spot with a contender.

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Fred Van Vleet, PG

Fred Van Vleet is on the edge of stardom. He will be one of the biggest chips to fall in the point guard market, with teams like Detroit, New York and perhaps even Milwaukee waiting to see if Toronto can keep him.

Van Vleet averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists while establishing himself as a pest defensively. He is big-game tested and ready to run the show. Charlotte’s backcourt would be crowded with him in the mix and the price tag for his services will be substantial.

Austin Rivers, PG

Austin Rivers played decent minutes and made more than a decent salary before joining the Houston Rockets. He’s never had the production that his talent and aggressiveness would suggest with a career-high 15 ppg in about 34 mpg during 2017-18.

Rivers has a $2.3 million option to stay in Houston next season. He’s been a nice rotational piece but the Rockets are heading for a shakeup. The team will try to compete this season with a necessary rebuild on the horizon and now is the time for Rivers to find his next payday.

The barrier that should stand in Charlotte’s way is where Rivers would fit in the roster. Graham’s growth is priority #1, or at least it should be. Terry Rozier will get the minutes his contract dictates and Malik Monk is a more inexpensive rotational piece. It’s hard to see Rivers getting the salary and playing time he would seek while being a net gain for Charlotte.

Other good fits

Backcourt: Tim Hardaway Jr., Joe Harris, Jeff Teague, Garrett Temple, Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Wing: Davis Bertans, Wesley Matthews, Jae Crowder.

Frontcourt: Serge Ibaka.

Next. Creating and analyzing a Bradley Beal trade package. dark

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