Charlotte Hornets likely to target Daniel Theis in offseason

On Thursday, the Charlotte Hornets made their first trade since 2018. The Hornets acquired veteran point guard Brad Wanamaker prior to the NBA trade deadline.

After the deadline, Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports reported that the Hornets were interested in Boston Celtics’ center Daniel Theis. Smith also stated that the Hornets will look to sign him during the summer.

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The news on Theis was released after the Celtics traded him to the Chicago Bulls. This move was part of a three-way trade that also included the Washington Wizards.

Theis is in his fourth season averaging 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Theis is also shooting 35% from deep and near career-high on field goal percentage with 55%.

Theis has shown that he can shoot the three-ball, but he’s not been consistent enough to be a threat from deep. Signing Theis would bring experience to the Hornets if signed during the summer, and he would be very familiar with former teammates Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.

Charlotte could be poised to get Theis on a cheap deal during free agency. It’s unclear how serious the Hornets are in him, but fans can expect Charlotte to keep an eye on him while he’s in Chicago.

The veteran center has played in the playoffs over the past two seasons and was a consistent starter with the Celtics. Because of the Bulls’ move earlier Thursday morning, Theis could be looking at backing up All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.

The Hornets did not address the center position before the trade deadline. Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are set to become unrestricted free agents following the season. Charlotte will need to sign a center in the buyout market, or upgrade during the draft or free agency.