The Charlotte Hornets had the resources to be a disruptor in this offseason's free agency. However, the best they could come up with were Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee. There could be a silver lining, as not going on a spending binge on free agents has left them $22 million below the first apron.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN noted, Charlotte is one of the three organizations to watch out for in three-team trades or salary-shedding deals because it can use its $14.1 million non-tax midlevel exception in a trade. The other squads are the Washington Wizards, who are in a similar situation to the Hornets, and the Utah Jazz, who have a $18.4 million trade exception.
Interestingly, such a transaction would not be that straightforward for Charlotte, as it would need to open up a roster spot to absorb another player. It even has to let go of one more guy with a standard contract before the opening of the regular season.
Based on what Jeff Peterson has done in recent months, though, it wouldn't be surprising to watch the Hornets pull off a series of trades to create the opportunity to land more assets that could help them in the future. For example, shipping Collin Sexton elsewhere later this season, which seems like an obvious decision for Charlotte, could allow the franchise to secure additional draft capital in exchange for the veteran guard and in a subsequent move where it facilitates a bigger swap.
With the report that Giannis Antetokounmpo's camp is reviewing which teams can "realistically" obtain the superstar if he were to seek a new home in the middle of the 2025-26 campaign, it's only logical for the Hornets to continue monitoring the trade market for possible moves where they can acquire more assets. Antetokounmpo isn't the only big-ticket name that can be dealt, and many clubs potentially seeking roster upgrades have limited financial flexibility.
Hornets' front office should be busy until the trade deadline
So, in some ways, it makes sense for Peterson not to go all out on a couple of high-priced free agents this summer. It's clear that Charlotte will look to be active in trade talks, especially near the trade deadline, and settling for Dinwiddie and Plumlee has afforded it that reality.
This is meant as no offense to the veterans, but their time as valuable rotation pieces appears to have passed. The Hornets' preseason opener showed that they already have a Dinwiddie problem on their hands. Meanwhile, Plumlee has yet to suit up for the purple and teal, as he was excused from training camp and did not play in their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nevertheless, the big man isn't expected to be that much of a game-changer for CLT.
Still, the pair may have already provided some value to the organization by simply earning the veteran's minimum salary.