The NBA world is still recovering from the stunning news of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swapping Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic. It may take a long while before people fully understand what has just happened.
The Charlotte Hornets are probably thanking the basketball gods that the two other franchises decided to swing for the fences and give up their respective superstars because they could get a high first-round pick in 2027 out of it.
Interestingly, the Hornets could have also been involved in a trade with Los Angeles earlier this season, although that deal wouldn't have been the least bit as high profile as the Davis-Doncic blockbuster.
Lakers could now use someone like Nick Richards
A few weeks ago, Charlotte made the unsurprising move to give up Nick Richards. The team sent him to the Phoenix Suns, getting a net of two second-round picks and Josh Okogie, who has already become a fan favorite and has had some folks among the Hornets faithful ruing that he had to spend an extended period on the injury report.
The Suns also appear to have benefitted from acquiring Richards. They have won four of their six games since the trade, with the Jamaican center putting up some monster performances, including a 20-point, 19-rebound outing.
It's unclear how interested Los Angeles was in obtaining Richards, although the franchise had been mentioned plenty of times as a potential trade destination for the fifth-year pro. Perhaps it should have made a run for the former Hornet, as it definitely needs a big man to anchor the paint, especially with Davis now gone.
As it stands, the Lakers' depth chart has Jaxson Hayes as their lone center who can hold his own against NBA competition. Unless they plan to play LeBron James (whose future with the organization has now become murky), Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, or Rui Hachimura at the five, they will certainly be active in the market for a pivot.
Los Angeles' problem would have already been solved had it outbid the Suns for Richards.
With the NBA landscape shifting overnight, it will be interesting to see what dominoes will be next to fall. The Hornets are likely also exploring trade options for their other veterans, and perhaps the Lakers might want to shop around Charlotte, who has players they might covet, including a wing defender in Cody Martin or another playmaker in Vasilije Micic. Unfortunately, the Hornets don't have any more big men to offer.