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.
3. Juan Toscano-Anderson
Currently, Gordon Hayward is the leading veteran on the Charlotte Hornets’ roster, and he just so happens to occupy the same position on the court as Brandon Miller. Furthermore, Hayward’s presence in the locker room is often missing due to his injury struggles throughout his tenure with the team. And right now, there’s no telling whether Charlotte will be bringing Kelly Oubre Jr. back for next season.
As such, it makes sense that Charlotte would look to add some grit to their bench, especially in the form of Juan Toscano-Anderson, who has clawed his way into the NBA and found a way to stick around.
Assuming that Miller is thrust into the starting line-up next season, Toscano-Anderson would provide some reliable backup when Hayward misses games – or if he is traded during the offseason. Yet, it’s the mentality that Toscano-Anderson brings which would hold the most value, especially after spending the second half of the 2022-23 season with the overachieving Utah Jazz.
In 22 games for Will Hardy’s team, Toscano-Anderson averaged 15.2 minutes of playing time, scoring 3.4 points, grabbing 2.9 rebounds, and dishing out 1.8 assists on 40.3% shooting from the floor. Furthermore, Toscano-Anderson is capable of playing across multiple positions, having spent 27% of his career minutes as a shooting guard, 51% as a small forward, 21% at the power forward spot, and 1% as a small-ball center.
In the modern NBA, having players who can undertake different roles and play in different positions is integral. As such, Toscano-Anderson’s play style, positional versatility, and presence within the locker room all make for a good, cost-controlled addition. After all, the fourth-year wing is only earning $1.9 million this season and would easily fit into the Bi-Annual exception if he agreed to a similar pay scale.
2. Coby White
Allow me to premise this by noting that Coby White is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Chicago Bulls can match any offer sheet he signs with another team and retain him moving forward if they choose to do so.
However, White’s tenure with the Bulls hasn’t been plain sailing, and the 23-year-old guard has found himself being floated in trade rumors as a result. Furthermore, the only reason White is even a restricted free agent this summer is that he and the Bulls were unable to agree on a contract extension before the deadline.
As such, if he is available, and the Bulls have no intent on matching an offer sheet, the Charlotte Hornets should pick up the phone. Currently, the guard depth behind LaMelo is paper thin, with Dennis Smith Jr. an unrestricted free agent this summer and Theo Maledon sweating on a contract offer after spending the year as a two-way player.
White would signal an upgrade at the backup guard spot and provide the Hornets with another young talent that still has plenty of room to grow but who also has almost 300 regular-season games worth of experience in the NBA.
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
1. Dillon Brooks
On May 2, The Atheltic’s Shams Charania reported that the Memphis Grizzlies wouldn’t be bringing Dillon Brooks back next season under any circumstances.
"The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending unrestricted free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances, league sources tell The Athletic,” Charania wrote. “After his tumultuous end to the season, Brooks was told about the Grizzlies’ decision to move on in exit meetings with team officials in recent days, those sources said. Memphis and Brooks discussed in exit meetings that it’s best for both sides to have a fresh start, sources added.”"
That could be good news for the Charlotte Hornets, who could certainly use the added toughness and contentiousness that Brooks brings to a rotation. Furthermore, Brooks is experienced at playing on young, talented teams that are trying to carve out a name for themselves in a stacked conference. Sure, he is currently seen as the biggest villain in the NBA, but it’s what he brings to the basketball court that could interest Mitch Kupchak.
In 73 regular-season games this year, Brooks averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest while shooting 39.6% from deep and 32.6% from the perimeter. Of course, the Hornets should only move for Brooks if they can fit him inside of their MLE, and Oubre Jr. has moved on to new pastures.
However, one thing is for sure, if the Hornets begin to make moves to get younger, finding an enforcer to help set the tone should be high on the team’s list of priorities, and Brooks would certainly fit that remit.