Charlotte Hornets: 3 blockbuster trades for a star big man

After declining an offer from the Charlotte Hornets in the offseason, would Montrezl Harrell embrace a trade back to his home state?

Montrezl Harrell, a Tarboro, North Carolina native, received an offer from the Hornets during this past offseason and elected to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on a cheaper deal. Had the Hornets been able to ink him to a deal, he would have certainly outperformed his production with the Lakers up to this point.

There was chatter around the trade deadline that L.A. was open to dealing Harrell. With a crowded frontcourt consisting of Harrell, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, and Marc Gasol, it seems feasible that the Lakers would be willing to part with one of their big men to fill other gaps in their lineup.

Harrell, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, is an electrifying center who plays each game with a ton of passion. He provides the same “junkyard dog” energy that you see out of players like Patrick Beverly and Draymond Green. While the Hornets have grit themselves, Harrell would be an intimidating matchup to opposing defenses if given a more significant role in Charlotte.

Alex Caruso would be some much-needed insurance off the bench in the case that the Hornets are unable to retain Graham and Monk. Aside from the flashy highlights we see out of him from time to time, he’s a productive guard that won’t see a large contract this summer and could thrive as Terry Rozier’s backup.

LeBron James loves to keep shooters around him and Monk is a walking bucket. I believe Monk would take his game to another level being surrounded by the Lakers’ veterans. Bridges, likely backing up James, has proved his worth this season and bolstered his trade value if the Hornets needed to part with him in a deal.