Should the Charlotte Hornets look to reset their roster?
The point in time when the Charlotte Hornets must acknowledge their true talent level and how far it will get them continues to draw near. This is a Hornets team that is not expected to accomplish anything of consequence at this current time, which puts the organization in a position where they are going to have to make an important decision. Determining whether or not they should look to rest their roster and play for the future.
This proposition was recently put forth by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz in What Every NBA Team Would Do If Trade Deadline Was Today for Charlotte’s entry into this article. Swartz believes it would be in the Hornets’ best interest to move the few veterans they have in order to clear minutes that can be rightfully distributed among the rest of the roster.
"“Charlotte needs to be honest with itself and execute a quick reset of the franchise, shipping off veterans like Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier for whatever the return may be.”"
This is a harsh reality for a Hornets team that was looking to prove that their 27-55 record from last season was indeed a fluke and not reality. But as Charlotte continues to be one of the worst teams in the league and unable to keep most of their games close, it appears that last year’s record is a bit more accurate than most would have thought.
There is a second part to this potential path that would be beneficial to the Hornets. Charlotte owes a first-round draft pick to San Antonio if it falls outside the Top-14 selections at any point in the next two seasons. This is a draft selection that could prove to be very beneficial to the Hornets in their team-building process, should they end up retaining one or both first-round selections.
Adding another pick in the top half of the draft should help lead the Hornets into their next competitive era rather than trying to maximize what is currently a flawed roster configuration that is not destined for all that much as presently constructed. This may not be what anyone wants to hear, but it is not that often that a team taking this course of action would be. The foundation in Charlotte is still very young and has its best days ahead of them. Additionally, it will take some time for them to take the next step from a competitive standpoint. But that path becomes a more difficult one to traverse should they not look to reset their roster for this season and add potential blue-chip players in future drafts.
