The Charlotte Hornets’ involvement in past trade deadlines has usually been an afterthought in the NBA. They don’t often make trades mid-season, and even the deadline deals they have pulled off–like acquiring Willy Hernangomez from New York in 2018, or plucking Brad Wanamaker from the Warriors last year– were merely tremors on the NBA Trade Richter Scale.
Charlotte’s dearth of big-name deals stems mostly from, well, Hornets teams of the past not having many players that other teams coveted.
That is no longer the case– Charlotte now has a tantalizing mix of young players with real upside, productive veterans who can help teams immediately, and they also possess most of their draft picks in coming years. However, the Hornets rebuild appears to be ahead of schedule, and with the team currently holding a 28-24 record, and the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, general manager Mitch Kupchak and company probably don’t need to make deals for the sake of making deals.
Plus with LaMelo Ball being under team control for several years, role players like PJ Washington and Jalen McDaniels still being on rookie deals, Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward being locked in for the foreseeable future, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is on a short, team-friendly, contract, the financial aspect of the Hornets is stable for the time being.
Miles Bridges is a restricted free agent this summer, but the Hornets seem intent on keeping him regardless of the price.
The Hornets also shouldn’t not make a deal if a tantalizing offer were to be floated their way. Like essentially every team in the NBA, the Hornets have areas they could improve through the trade market. In other words, the Hornets have a host of different approaches they can take at the deadline.
Charlotte is at a crossroads, with different trade possibilities being the different roads they can choose to travel. None of the roads are necessarily bad and they can also choose to just stay at the intersection because this specific crossroad (being four games above .500 with exciting young stars) has a nice view… and a taco stand.
Firstly, they can do what I just mentioned– nothing! Just stay at the crossroads and order some birria tacos. Yum. Sitting out this trade deadline and keeping together a team with a good mix of experiences and skillsets is a fine option. The Hornets have a real shot at their first playoff berth since 2016, and they appear to be nowhere near their “ceiling.” Besides, the chemistry of this Hornets team is one of their biggest competitive advantages; no single player thinks he needs to light up the scoreboard every night, and players simply knowing their roles have won the Hornets multiple games this year. Things are looking up, and there may not be any reason to mess with a (mostly) good thing.
However, if the Hornets do decide to make a few deals, there are a few different approaches they can take when considering trades. Which route is the best? I dunno! Off we go!