5 Free-agent guards the Hornets should have chosen over Frank Ntilikina

2. Goran Dragic

If the Hornets were looking for someone to come in and plug gaps in their guard rotation throughout the season, Goran Dragic could have made more sense. The veteran guard isn’t the offensive force that he used to be, but his experience would prove invaluable – both in the locker room and on the court.

Dragic spent last season with the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, where he played in a total of 58 regular-season games, averaging 6.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 rebounds on 35.9% shooting from 3-Point range and 46.8% shooting from 2-Point range. He may be entering his age-37 season, but Dragic’s ability to unlock a defense would ensure Charlotte’s second unit can function when LaMelo is off the court.

At this point in his career, Dragic may prefer to be a role player on a contending team. Yet, with no current offers on the table, Charlotte may have been able to convince the veteran guard to join their project for the upcoming season and could have shopped him around the trade deadline if things weren’t working out. Furthermore, Dragic would likely have accepted a reduced role, which would allow Nick Smith Jr. to get the reps he needs to develop at the NBA level.