Charlotte Hornets NBA Draft: Expert and fan reactions

The 2021 NBA Draft has concluded and the Charlotte Hornets are bringing in four rookies to add to their young core. James Bouknight, Kai Jones, JT Thor, and Scottie Lewis. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak made two trades to move up and acquire Jones in the first round and Thor in the second.

Charlotte had a very high grade on Bouknight and he fell right into the Hornets lap at No. 11 leaving them with no choice but to select the Connecticut guard. A potential elite three-level scorer who gets to the basket and uses his elite athleticism to finish above the rim. Jones was mocked to the Hornets by just about every analyst and it’s rumored that Kupchak would have selected him at No. 11 had Bouknight not been there. Being able to trade back into the first round for a heavily protected first-round pick to select him at No. 19 is the better move than taking him at No. 11.

Before the draft even began it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Charlotte was trading the 57th overall pick to the Detroit Pistons for the 37th overall pick and Mason Plumlee. The 37th pick became Auburn’s Thor who is very raw but if Charlotte’s development staff can get the best out of him then he can be a very interesting player. Lastly, Florida’s defensive specialist, Lewis, was taken with the 56th pick, right where he was expected to go.

Let’s see what fans and experts are saying about Charlotte’s fantastic four.