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

3. Ish Smith

Hornets fans will be no stranger to Ish Smith after the veteran guard spent half of the 2021-22 season with the franchise. Since leaving Charlotte, Smith has gone on to become an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets, playing a deep bench role and providing a spark when needed.

At 35 years old, Smith is another veteran guard who would likely accept a deep rotation role on Charlotte’s bench and would provide a spark plug whenever the offense began to stagnate. However, there would be a trade-off here because what Ntilikina lacks on the offensive upside, Smith lacks on the defensive end.

With Steve Clifford’sdesire to build success from a strong defensive system, Smith would potentially find minutes hard to come by. Yet, there is something to be said about having a veteran guard who can unlock scoring opportunities in a hurry and is known for his occasional scoring punch when his team’s back is against the wall.

Smith, like Dragic, is currently a free agent, and would likely have accepted a similar deal to Ntilikina, has Mitch Kupchak and the front office pinpointed him as a potential stop-gap to help fill the void left behind by Smith Jr.