Charlotte Hornets: 3 Offseason moves the Hornets might regret

3 Offseason moves the Hornets might regret: Trading for Mason Plumlee

The Hornets have had a center problem since Cody Zeller’s knees started failing him in 2016. Every year the Hornets look like a playoff-caliber team and every year, the Hornets are done in by their big man depth, always because Zeller was a good starter, but could never stay healthy.

Mitch Kupchak and the front office knew we needed to get stronger at the position to make some noise, and we ended up trading for Mason Plumlee from Detroit in a move that got him and JT Thor. We all knew that that center was a need for the team, but I do not believe anyone expected Kupchak to solve it with Plumlee.

This isn’t to say Plumlee is bad. He is a perfectly solid backup center who can do a bit of everything and can give the Hornets 20-25 minutes a night. The potential regret for Charlotte is that the Hornets needed a starting center and came away from the offseason with a solid backup and several young projects.

While Plumlee’s contract included a trade kicker to make his deal about $9 million per season, it’s only two years so it won’t hurt the team. What stings is that Richaun Holmes would have been the perfect fit to play with Ball, he was a free agent, and the Kings could not keep him if someone offered more than eleven million per season, thanks to CBA limitations on early-bird rights (2 years with a team).

Charlotte could have gotten Holmes for 4 years and $60 million and not have to worry about centers for years to come. Instead, the Hornets are betting that Plumlee can hold down the position for two years while Thor and Kai Jones develop.