3 ways the second overall pick will shift Hornets’ offseason plans
By Adam Taylor
3. Charlotte flips their other draft picks in a trade
Now that the dust has settled on the draft lottery, we know that the Charlotte Hornets boast the following picks: 2nd, 27th (via Denver), 34th, and 39th (via Utah). Four draft selections may be deemed too many by the front office, and rightfully so. After all, you already have some young talent that needs developing on the roster: think James Bouknight, Mark Williams, and Kai Jones.
As such, it would make sense for the Hornets to see what the trade market looks like for a package involving any and all picks that don’t reside in the top two. With the new CBA set to take effect this summer, there will likely be multiple teams that are looking to reshape their current rosters and acquire cost-controlled talent for the coming years.
It’s also true, that when looking at Charlotte’s current roster, a ‘young veteran’ could be exactly what the team needs to add some upside and immediate impact into their rotation. Hopefully, there will be some teams that have given up on developing a recently acquired prospect and are willing to hit the reset button by swapping them for draft picks: similar to what the Golden State Warriors did when they moved on from James Wiseman at the February 9 trade deadline (only they did it to bolster their rotation with proven talent, not draft assets.)