Charlotte Hornets: How to improve the center position

Charlotte Hornets: Could the team add a center in 2022 free agency?

Next, let’s take a look at the free agency market coming up, and whether the Hornets have a chance to address the center position there.

First, looking at the total resources moving forward, it does not look like the Charlotte Hornets will have anything more than the mid-level exception. Jonas Valanciunas and Jusuf Nurkic will out-price anything the Charlotte Hornets will be able to offer – unless they are able to organize a sign-and-trade – which takes all three parties to agree (both teams, the player).

So, some realistic targets in the 2022 offseason include Derrick Favors, Tristan Thompson, and Serge Ibaka. Not ideal, right?

If the goal is to get a long-term player on board at center, it probably won’t happen in 2022 free agency. Still both Thompson and Favors are still at least worth analyzing.

Starting with Favors, he’s a defense-first big man that helps in a few different aspects, most prominently interior defense (as stated) and tertiary playmaking. He is one of the more unselfish big men in the league, keeping the ball moving.

Thompson, too, is interesting. He could provide a rim-running threat as well as being switchable defensively. As of right now, Thompson is the backup center in Sacramento.

Both of those players should command, at most, the full mid-level exception, set to be worth about $10 million next offseason.