How the Hornets can learn from the mistakes of the past
By Quinn Everts
4. Make The Most Out Of Every Asset
It’s clear the Hornets have some attractive young talent, plus first-round draft picks in all upcoming drafts. That’s great, but once again, if this franchise wants to win now, what is the point of collecting assets if not to compound them for a win-now type player? The appeal of assets is that they can become anything, even an All-Star player. But if high-level players are available right now, then a team like the Hornets– who are starved for any type of postseason success–should be more interested in the certain rather than the unknown, thus open to trading those assets for a proven talent.
When a team has players that other teams are interested in, losing them for nothing is unacceptable. The Hornets have been a bit inconsistent in this regard, and the Devonte Graham trade was a perfect example. His role had decreased when the Hornets added LaMelo Ball after the 2019-20 season, so the Hornets flipped him to New Orleans for a pick that ended up being a top-15 selection. That’s a phenomenal front-office move!
When the draft actually came around, the Hornets, armed with two solid first-round picks, simply kicked the can down the road a little bit, dealing their own 1RP for future picks. That is, at best, a lateral move. If the team is trying to win, why not use the ammunition you have now to make a move that helps the team win… Now? With players like Myles Turner and DeAndre Ayton available, the Hornets had opportunities to cash in after gathering a solid chunk of assets over the years. They did not.
Accumulating draft picks and young players will always be important, because even elite teams want some sort of “future” they can look forward to. But a future draft pick, or any hypothetical 21-year-old “project,” will not end a two-decade long playoff series win drought.