Charlotte Hornets: Why an Al Horford trade makes perfect sense

Because of Horford’s large remaining contract, the Charlotte Hornets have the leverage here in a trade. Rozier makes sense for the Sixers as a great shooter who has the potential to be a good on-ball defender with his length and athleticism. However, his inability to consistently make the right decisions on the court is an issue for the developing Hornets team, where he has a larger role. Next to Simmons and Embiid, his lessened role means he can focus on his bread and butter, which is to catch and shoot 3s.

Pick #21 is an extremely enticing asset in this year’s flat draft. Some of the names recently mocked beyond #21 include Theo Maledon, Zeke Nnaji, Devon Dotson, Tre Jones, Isaiah Joe, Jaden McDaniels…whilst this draft isn’t known for having surefire star talent, its depth remains a strong point and with Kupchak’s history of striking gold with later picks you’d back the Hornets to add a great young piece with the 21st pick.

Zhaire Smith is a bit of an unknown commodity these days, but as a college prospect, he was a crazy athlete with some ballhandling skills. Scouting reports like this one and this one expresses excitement at his combination of skill, athleticism, and defensive potential. The Hornets are in a position where they need to acquire as much talent as possible, and Smith could be a shrewd buy-low option for this young Hornets team.

The negatives to a Horford trade are apparent. He will make money through to the 2022-23 season, reducing the Hornets cap space in subsequent off-seasons. He potentially pushes the Hornets out of the true bottom-3 territory, hurting our chances of drafting the game-changing Cade Cunningham.

But Hornets head coach James Borrego constantly talks about four pillars, those pillars being Compete, Player Development, Identity, and Habits. As a veteran Horford helps our young players build stronger habits, on a team that will lack veteran presence next season with the loss of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams. As the player he is with the skillset he brings, he will help player development and our competitiveness. He also fits seamlessly into Borrego’s ideals of ball movement.

Overall, I believe the positives of a Horford acquisition far outweigh the negatives. He adds leadership and credibility to a young, improving team, whilst being a fantastic fit on-court with the current pieces. If you ask me, trading Rozier for Horford is a no-brainer move for both parties, and I pray every night that on draft night, when Adam Silver announces the #21 pick, he mentions a draft-night trade occurring between the Charlotte Hornets and the Philadelphia 76ers.