Charlotte Hornets Mailbag: Trade for Bagley, Drummond or Valančiūnas?

Welcome to the Swarm & Sting mailbag!

Throughout the season, we’ll be answering your Charlotte Hornets-related questions. You can tweet your questions using the hashtag #AskSwarmnSting or be on the lookout during Hornets’ games for our tweets asking for questions.

I see no reason for the Hornets to keep Malik Monk or Cody Zeller beyond this season. Monk is clearly not in the team’s plans. Despite his potential, Hornets’ coach James Borrego is not letting him into games. As far as Zeller, it has been a good run for him in Charlotte, but either by trade or letting his contract expire at the end of the season, it is time to move on.

Of the three centers you mentioned, I’m going to go with the youngest option, Marvin Bagley. The Hornets’ biggest need is the center position, and they need to get younger at the position as well. At 21-years old, Bagley is 6 foot, 11 inches tall, and weighs 234-pounds; he is super athletic for his size and height. He has a multifaceted offensive skill-set. He has the potential to be a stretch 5 and catch-and-shoot player. He can develop into a good pick-and-roll player as well. He has a nose for the ball; active on the offensive boards and can turn those into second-chance points. You don’t have to worry about him not getting after it on the defensive boards as well.

He needs to continue to fills out his body and gain strength so to solidify his positioning in the post and work on his defensive fundamentals. There is a lot of upside there with Bagley, and if a reasonable deal to acquire him were available to the Hornets, they would be fools not to jump on it.

No. I’d be surprised if Hornets’ social media already didn’t have his departure posts saved in their drafts.

This was an interesting question, something that I haven’t thought about in a long time. I remember years back, going to Bobcats/Hornets’ games, you knew who the tri-captains were (Al Jefferson, Gerald Henderson, and Kemba Walker). After those departures, the Hornets haven’t publicly stated who their team leaders were. The Hornets used to have the captain “C” on a player’s profile on the team website, but there are none found today.

Despite veterans like Gordon Hayward, Cody Zeller, and Bismack Biyombo on the roster, I would zero in on Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham as the co-leaders of the team. Rozier was new to the team last year, found his way, and had a good season. Graham came out of nowhere with his exceptional performance last year after a quiet rookie season. I can see both coming back this year, especially as the team’s starting guards, with the expectation that they take on more of a vocal leadership role on the team. Here is a quote from coach Borrego from Hornets.com on his expectations for Rozier and Graham coming into this season:

"“They’ve got to be a major part of our leadership team. We’re trusting and believing in those guys and with that comes responsibility. They’ve got to own this team and part of owning your team is speaking up more, being the bad guy at times, being the cheerleader at times. They have to have a pulse on this team and I think they’re getting more and more comfortable in these shoes.”"

LaMelo Ball: I believe Ball has superstar potential. He definitely needs some coaching and practice time. Once he develops his shot and gets better with his defensive fundamentals, watch out!

PJ Washington: It has been clear from Day 1 that Washington is a starter in the NBA. Is he Carl Landry or Marcus Morris? Can he develop to the level where Christian Wood has ascended to? He won’t be a superstar, but he doesn’t need to be.

Miles Bridges: Bridges has finally found his role in the NBA. I don’t think he’ll ever be a starter, but what he has been giving the Hornets off the bench this year could keep him employed for a long time. Now, whether that’s with the Hornets or another team remains to be seen.

Caleb Martin and Cody Martin: The Martin twins are solid depth players to have on your roster. Last season Cody had the edge on Caleb, but this season Caleb’s defense has caught up to Cody’s which has also given him the chance to show his offensive capabilities. They both have a place in the league. Fans can’t expect that both Martin twins will always be on the Hornets’ roster, if I had to pick now, Caleb has the best chance now to stick with the team long-term.

Jalen McDaniels: The jury is still out on Jalen. He rebounds well for his position and is a solid combo forward. He’s talented but needs some seasoning. He’ll never be a starter but can develop into a reliable role player.

I won’t comment on Veron Carey, Nick Richards, Grant Riller, and Nate Darling until I’ve at least seen them get some playing time in the G League bubble this season.