Wild four-team mock trade has Hornets shaking things up
When it comes to hypothetical trades, there may not be one as wild as this one. The Charlotte Hornets find themselves involved in a four-team deal that sees a star player headed stateside. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey came up with A New Pascal Siakam 4-team Trade Where Everybody Wins, as a way to get Siakam out of Toronto.
As far as the Hornets’ involvement goes, they find a way to shake things up in this mock deal. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Otto Porter Jr., and former Hornets big man Christian Wood come to Charlotte, Wood being via a sign-and-trade. Charlotte would give up Gordon Hayward, James Bouknight, and Kelly Oubre Jr., Oubre’s departure would also be through a sign and trade. Bailey considers this to mostly be a great deal for the Hornets.
"With the possible exception of the team not wanting Christian Wood to get in the way of minutes for Mark Williams or Nick Richards at the 5, this one kind of feels like a no-brainer for the Charlotte Hornets."
Not wanting to take minutes away from Mark Williams and Nick Richards would be something that may make the Hornets not want to do this deal. While it is noted that Wood is a productive player when does play and a pairing with LaMelo Ball could be enticing, the fact that he has been on as many teams (seven) in as many years there is usually a reason for that. That reason alone could deter the Hornets from wanting Wood back for a second stint.
While it would be far from ideal to move on from a lottery pick two years ago in James Bouknight, he has not exactly given the Hornets a reason that they should hang on to him. It will not be an easy path for Bouknight to get minutes this season and if the Hornets are able to get something for a player who ultimately may not be a good fit in Charlotte it is worth considering.
Oubre’s inclusion is not necessarily Charlotte losing a player as much as it is finding a landing spot for the veteran wing who is still a free agent. Oubre was able to average just over 20 points in 48 games last season, but a return to Charlotte was never really in the cards. Doing Oubre a favor of sorts is just good business sense as it would help further down the line when it comes to negotiating deals with other players. A little bit of goodwill goes a long way when it comes to the contract negotiation process.
Two players included who Charlotte would be a bit more interested in
Bailey also made sure to make mention the fact that Bogdanovic is younger and less expensive than Hayward. Finding a way to move Hayward is not necessarily a must for Charlotte, but parting ways and ending his stint with the team could prove beneficial to all parties involved. As far as Bogdanovic is concerned, he’s no slouch. Inserting Bogdanovic into a bench role and getting similar production that they would get from Hayward would be a win-win.
Landing Porter Jr. in the deal could also help in the veteran presence department. Having players such as Porter Jr. on a team with as many up-and-coming youngsters is a path that many teams prefer to take. The mentorship provided when facing adversity is an incredibly valuable resource and helps them as they are trying to at least make the play-in tournament. Additionally, Porter Jr,’s expiring contract provides flexibility when the year is up.
Even though this four-team megadeal would be an interesting shakeup for the Hornets to consider, the fact of the matter is that it does not seem all that realistic at this time. The sheer amount of moving parts involved and the complicated nature of the mock trade just makes it incredibly unlikely to happen. It is fun to dream about, but it may be a better use of time to contemplate trades that are a bit more likely to occur.
