After many years of failed drafts with a couple of exceptions, the Charlotte Hornets have finally gotten it right. Because they have potentially addressed a few roster holes with their four picks, the Hornets can resume one of their strategies of draft capital acquisition by taking on bad contracts.
Its latest such move was bringing in Jusuf Nurkic from the Phoenix Suns last February. That allowed Charlotte to unload Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, who is hilariously returning to the Queen City, courtesy of the Mark Williams deal, and a 2026 second-round pick. In return, the Hornets secured a 2026 first-rounder.
The pick might end up near the tail end of the first round, as what they will actually receive will be the least favorable among the selections of the Suns, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, and Memphis Grizzlies. Still, the recently concluded draft had demonstrated that some gems could still be unearthed late in the opening round.
Even second-round picks have shown to be valuable assets for a front office that has proven to be a savvy judge of talent in the draft this year.
Hornets should remain in asset-acquisition mode for now
So, the Hornets should try to look for similar trades this offseason and take advantage of what financial flexibility they still have to net a few more draft capital. There are surely some squads that are going to try to compete for a playoff spot next campaign and need to look for a trade partner on whom to dump their bad contracts.
At the same time, Charlotte should still market itself as a facilitator for swaps between organizations that are financially restricted in order to obtain future draft picks. The franchise could join as a third team in the Kevin Durant deal that Phoenix and the Houston Rockets have already agreed upon. It appears the involved clubs are set on completing the trade just between the two of them. However, anything can happen from now until they can formally announce the move.
Some might argue that it would be counter-productive for the Hornets to continue trying to be a destination for salary dumps, especially since they may also have to seek reinforcements this summer. But as already mentioned, they have already solved some roster puzzles with the addition of Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Consequently, they can afford to bring in unwanted contracts.
There will hopefully come a time when Charlotte has joined the ranks of contenders and doesn't have to prioritize stockpiling future assets anymore. But until then, it's best for the team to make use of its cap space to acquire future draft picks, if possible.