Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has reportedly secured his first MVP, and the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar deserves it. While Charlotte Hornets fans are likely sending their congratulations his way, some of them might be reeling from the fact that Charlotte could have had him in 2018.
The Hornets selected him with the No. 11 overall pick seven years ago, only to trade him to the LA Clippers for the 12th selection, which turned out to be Miles Bridges, and two future second-round picks. In hindsight, the deal didn't pan out well for Charlotte. Not only did the North Carolina squad miss out on one of the best players of his generation, but it also didn't get a sizeable return.
In the Hornets' defense, it looked like they had their sights set on Bridges, so they tried to get more value out of their pick. Some draft boards, though, had Gilgeous-Alexander higher. However, with Kemba Walker already having been handed the keys to the franchise, they probably thought SGA wouldn't have been a good fit.
Hornets should have learned from their SGA-sized mistake
That's where Charlotte got it wrong. Had the front office abided by the draft-the-best-guy-available principle, it would have had a franchise-changing talent in the fold. Of course, things could have worked out differently for Gilgeous-Alexander in that scenario. Keep in mind that he had to be shipped to the Thunder in order to fulfill his potential.
Hopefully, Jeff Peterson has learned the lesson from the mistake his predecessors made in the 2018 draft.
First of all, the Hornets' scouts have to do better in evaluating prospects because even though Bridges has been serviceable for the team, especially this season when many of its rotation players were stung by the injury bug, he obviously isn't a star player. On the other hand, some pundits had predicted that Gilgeous-Alexander would eventually develop into one due to his physical tools and stunning feel for the game at a young age.
Moreover, it shouldn't come as a surprise if the Hornets decide to trade down in the draft again, especially if their preferred prospects are already gone at No. 4. In that case, they have to make sure that the return they are getting for the pick is commensurate with its value. Otherwise, it might be better to just get the best player available and figure out how to fit the pieces together in the next months.
The upcoming draft will be crucial for Charlotte. Its reputation around the league has continued to fall, and it's about time to finally see the Hornets transform into a winner or at least show they are on a trajectory to becoming one.