The Charlotte Hornets have plenty of roster decisions to make this offseason, including deciding on whether to keep Josh Okogie or let him become a free agent. They don't have much time left to ponder on it, as the deadline to guarantee his contract for next season is June 30.
Given that his salary would be over $7 million, which is pretty affordable, all things considered, the Hornets should definitely retain him instead of letting him enter the free agent market. Another option is to use him as a trade piece, which would be fine if they can land impactful assets in return.
However, Charlotte has good reason to keep Okogie, who quickly endeared himself to fans after he landed on the team in the deal that sent Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns.
Josh Okogie's forte is something Hornets are in short supply of
It was unfortunate that the 26-year-old couldn't really showcase how capable he is of being a consistent, valuable contributor for the Hornets. He appeared in just 16 games in the purple and teal uniform, averaging 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 18.3 minutes per game. There might be some concerns about his offensive shortcomings, as he shot just 38.8 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from 3-point land. However, Charlotte's generally horrible offense may have played a role in that.
Where Okogie really shone and displayed flashes of brilliance was on the defensive end. Despite the limited minutes, he recorded 1.8 steals per contest after the trade and ranked the highest in a few advanced defensive metrics among all Hornets players.
He was also arguably the squad's only point-of-attack defender last season. Josh Green was expected to fill that position but was largely ineffective in covering opposing ball-handlers. On the other hand, "Non-Stop" was able to hold his own in that area while also possessing the tools needed to guard four positions.
In addition to his defense, he also provided the team with some needed hustle and leadership. He was occasionally seen talking his teammates up on the sidelines, even while wearing street clothes.
For many reasons, Okogie deserves to lock up a roster spot with the Hornets, even if they find a way to bring in other plus-defenders or two-way guys in the offseason. After all, you can never have too many guys who can wreak havoc on defense. Besides, his contract alone makes it worth it, and the facets of his game that he brings to the table can likely help Charlotte become a respectable club again.