Only a few believe the Charlotte Hornets are done tweaking their roster. They still have a few veterans worth second-rounders and must address various roster flaws. Furthermore, many fans have been imploring the organization to do the right thing with Moussa Diabate by upgrading his two-way contract now that the backup center spot has opened up.
The Hornets have also yet to discuss their concrete plan with Josh Okogie, one of the pieces they received from the Nick Richards trade with the Phoenix Suns.
Some believe that the defensive-minded forward would just pass through Charlotte and could be on his way to another squad in a different trade. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, based on Hornets president Jeff Peterson's recent statement.
Josh Okogie is likely not a short-term rental for Hornets
According to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required), Peterson described Okogie as the player the Hornets "want to bring into this organization" because of the seven-year veteran's character and competitiveness.
His defense has been his calling card since his college days, having been highly regarded as a solid point-of-attack defender. As it turns out, Charlotte needs such a player, as Cody Martin and probably Josh Green are the only ones the team has who can perform decently in that area. But with Martin a likely candidate to be gone from the Hornets before the year ends, Okogie will have the opportunity to prove that he deserves to be part of the Hive.
However, the former first-round pick doesn't solve one of Charlotte's glaring weaknesses, the lack of offensive firepower in the second unit. He has never eclipsed double-digits in average scoring in any of his seasons in the NBA.
The good news is that he shot well from the field in 25 appearances in a Suns uniform. Okogie sank 49.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and 38.1 percent of his shots from behind the 3-point line. Hopefully, he can continue his efficient scoring with the Hornets, even if he will probably never be a high-volume shooter.
There could also be the possibility of the 26-year-old hoopster playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Peterson might not admit it, but the main attraction of the Richards deal for Charlotte is the trio of second-round picks it netted, further expanding the franchise's treasure chest of draft capital. Okogie would do well to use it as fuel to establish his place with the Hornets, especially since he will have the opportunity to ask for a pay raise when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2026.