The Charlotte Hornets have enjoyed a relatively quiet off-season. With most of their work done on draft night, Mitch Kupchak and the front office have abstained from making any big splashes in free agency or on the trade market.
However, according to James Piercy of NBA Analysis Network, there is a trade that the Hornets should consider making, and it would involve the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year teaming up with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller for the upcoming season.
The trade looks like this:
Miami Heat get: Terry Rozier and Cody Martin
Hornets get: Tyler Herro
"“Rozier is the stronger dribble driver,” Piercy reasoned in his article. “He’s not as efficient off the ball. So, here’s the next question: what do the Heat need? They need a dribble driver. Rozier’s ability to penetrate and collapse the defense would serve this team well. Meanwhile, his relative lack of playmaking chops wouldn’t be an issue alongside Butler and Adebayo.”"
Rozier, 29, is about to enter the second year of his $96 million deal but doesn’t project to fit into the Hornets’ current timeline. With that in mind, Kupchak could likely be tempted into trading away one of Charlotte’s more tradable assets if he believes the return could improve the team both in the immediate and in the long term.
With that being said, let’s explore whether the trade makes sense for both sides.
Does the proposed Hornets/Heat trade make sense for Miami?
Tyler Herro has spent the majority of this off-season being discussed as a potential makeweight in a Damian Lillard trade. Until Lillard’s future is resolved one way or another, it’s unlikely that Miami moves on from Herro – who is arguably their most tradable asset.
However, if Miami does miss out on Lillard and he gets traded elsewhere, Rozier may be a legitimate secondary target. Since joining the Hornets, Rozier has grown into a reliable starting guard who can dictate the tempo of games and score across all three levels. In 268 regular-season games, Rozier is averaging 19.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds on 48.7% shooting from 2-Point range and 37.3% from 3-Point land.
Given Kyle Lowry’s decline and the lack of a true starting point guard on the roster following the loss of Gabe Vincent, Miami will certainly be scrambling to find a new ball-handler if Lillard doesn’t make his way to south beach. As such, Rozier makes a ton of sense for last season’s NBA Finalists – the fact that Cody Martin would also be part of the deal is a perfect sweetener, too.
Does the proposed Hornets/Heat trade make sense for Charlotte?
Tyler Herro has spent his entire career with the Miami Heat – success is all he knows. If the Hornets were to flip Rozier and Martin for Herro, he would instantly improve Charlotte’s rotation and most likely make a significant impact within the locker room. Last season, the Hornets ranked bottom of the NBA in offensive rating and will be looking to bounce back with a versatile and consistent offensive scheme in the upcoming season.
Herro could help the Hornets as both a scorer and a connector. Last season, the former Sixth Man of the Year averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 49.7% shooting from the field and 37.8% from 3-Point range. Unlike Rozier, Herro can operate without the ball while still maintaining offensive gravity due to his catch-and-shoot ability, along with his rip-through penetration.
At 23 years old, Herro also fits the Hornets’ timeline and would be able to continue his development alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller – and potentially P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges, depending on how their individual contracts shake out over the next 12 months. Parting ways with Rozier would be a tough call, but if the return is Herro, it’s a call that Kupchak would be foolish not to make.
As a final note here, Rozier would also get to move into a primary ball-handler role with Miami rather than operating as a two-guard alongside LaMelo, while the Hornets would clear what appears to be a growing logjam at the guard position.
Grading the proposed Hornets/Heat trade
The trade proposal from Piercy makes sense for both the Heat and the Hornets. Rozier would plug a gap for Miami while also giving them some long-term security at the guard position, while Herro fits Charlotte’s timeline and would be able to grow with the other young talent around him as the Hornets continue to improve in the years to come.
Of course, the trade proposal is incredibly reliant on what happens with Lillard in the coming weeks and months – but we shouldn’t hold that against it when looking to give the idea a grade – especially as the Lillard situation continues to spiral.
As such, when we take into account the fit, the logical aspects for both teams, and how seamless the trade could potentially be for both parties, there is only one reasonable way to score this trade proposal, and that’s by giving it a big ‘A.’