There have been divisive reactions to the Charlotte Hornets' decision to trade Mark Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers. While some folks believe the big man could have been a key part of the franchise moving forward, some think his injury history is too difficult to ignore.
All things considered, the Hornets did well in collecting high-quality assets the franchise needs, including an unprotected draft pick six years from now, a pick swap in 2030, and promising rookie Dalton Knecht. Of course, the value of those draft selections depends on whether the Lakers can continue contending when Luka Doncic is around 30 years old.
It's also possible that 2019 first-round pick Cam Reddish can reach his ceiling with Charlotte after years of disappointing his believers. Alternatively, the front office might just decide to use him as trade bait, given the team's direction.
Hornets should keep on stockpiling assets
It stands to reason that the organization is not yet done tweaking or even overhauling the roster. If it isn't clear yet, the front office has already embraced the full rebuild and is unofficially tanking for a top draft pick this summer.
As such, its next move is to keep on exploring trades that would further build its treasure chest of assets — even if that means splitting up unexpected pieces. After all, Williams was once thought of as untouchable in trade discussions, but the top brass deemed him expendable (for the right price, of course).
The roster still has some pretty sellable names, with Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic appearing to be most mentioned by people covering or following the Hornets. Considering what happened on early Thursday, no one is safe. So, folks shouldn't be shocked to see the likes of Josh Green, Grant Williams, Tre Mann, and Nick Smith Jr. shipped out in exchange for second-rounders.
It wouldn't even be surprising anymore to watch Shams Charania break out the news that Charlotte had traded LaMelo Ball or Brandon Miller. Hopefully, though, lead executive Jeff Peterson won't go the Nico Harrison route and underestimate either franchise cornerstone's value. For instance, Ball should bring in a haul of no less than several first-round selections.
Hornets fans should also anticipate the addition of a center in the trade market or free agency following the exit of Nick Richards and Williams. It would be wild to see the squad roll out a big-man rotation of Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson. On the flip side, that would certainly aid in the squad's pursuit of increasing its odds of winning the draft lottery this summer.