Charlotte Hornets: 4 centers still available if depth is needed
By Jason Huber
If Mason Plumlee doesn’t work out, what free agent centers are still available for the Hornets?
One of the biggest needs for the Charlotte Hornets to address this offseason was the center position. The lack of a reliable big man has been a huge hole for the Hornets over the past five years, and as a team looking to take a leap in the Eastern Conference, Cody Zeller wasn’t the answer at the position.
With Zeller leaving in free agency to the Portland Trail Blazers and Bismack Biyombo still an unrestricted free agent, Charlotte had to address the position, but it wasn’t as big of a splash as some Hornets fans might have hoped.
Free-agent targets Richaun Holmes, Motrezl Harrell, Nerlens Noel, and Jarrett Allen didn’t work out and the big move at the center position that Charlotte made was a pre-draft trade for Mason Plumlee.
Plumlee is an eight-year NBA veteran out of Duke that has been solid for multiple teams. He averaged 10.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season with the Detroit Pistons, and he will be expected to slide right in as the Hornets’ starting center.
In addition to Plumlee, Charlotte decided to go young with the rest of the center depth. They traded up to draft forward/center Kai Jones out of Texas in the first round of the draft and will hope Vernon Carey, and Nick Richards to a lesser extent can provide big man depth.
Plumlee seems just like a temporary fix until Jones and Carey develop. General manager Mitch Kupchak said he wants the young centers to develop and not have a veteran center on a large contract.
However, if the Hornets find themselves in playoff contention this season but begin to struggle mightily at the center spot once again, who can they still sign in free agency if a trade doesn’t work out?
Here are four big men still available that could provide depth.