On May 16th, the Charlotte Hornets moved up two places in the 2023 NBA Draft, landing them the second-overall pick as a result. Throughout the regular season, the G-League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson has been considered a contender to be drafted second-overall; however, given LaMelo Ball’s presence on the Hornet’s roster, that may no longer be the case.
Instead, Brandon Miller of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks like an ideal prospect for Charlotte, given his positional versatility and can’t miss skillset at the wing positions. Assuming that Mitch Kupchak adds Miller to the Hornets roster on draft night, it would make sense that the front office then targets free agents who can accentuate the talents of both Miller and Ball.
After all, it’s one thing to acquire and develop talent, but it’s another to put them in a position to succeed, and a large part of that is putting the right pieces around them. Currently, the Hornets’ have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth around $12.2 million, and the Bi-Annual exception, worth $4.48 million.
What type of free agent should the Charlotte Hornets target?
Ideally, any free agent the Hornets acquire will be young enough that they’re either entering their prime or are still working toward it while attempting to avoid older veterans who are just looking for their next landing spot, especially if the front office is looking to add depth, rather than placing a roadblock in front of the developmental talent that already resides on the roster.
Players under the age of 28 make perfect sense, but in truth, you would probably like them closer to 25, which means another team has likely given up on developing the player and allowed them to test free agency. Although, there should certainly be some flexibility here, as a true veteran could help instill some professionalism into a young locker room and help keep everybody focused throughout a long 82-game season.
Still, if you’re the Hornets and are genuinely looking to rebuild your roster around LaMelo and (potentially) Miller, finding some diamonds in the rough is precisely what will expedite any potential rebuild.
With all of this in mind, here are three free agents that the Hornets should look to pair with the potential duo of Ball and Miller.