The Charlotte Hornets have had plenty of weaknesses in the previous seasons, including the lack of quality depth in the wing/forward positions.
That may not be as significant of a problem in the 2024-25 season as before because the team has several rotation pieces who can play those roles. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges are expected to start, while Josh Green, Grant Williams, Cody Martin, Seth Curry, and, probably, Tidjane Salaun will get minutes at those spots.
Still, if the Hornets didn't give up a key player in the 2021 offseason, they probably would have another starting-caliber option at either small forward or power forward.
Waiving Caleb Martin the 2021 offseason continues to haunt the Hornets
In the summer of 2021, Charlotte released Caleb Martin to open up space for the arrival of free agent Kelly Oubre Jr.
It seemed like the right move at the time. After all, the undrafted forward averaged just 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in the previous campaign. It didn't matter to the front office that Caleb Martin proved that he had the chops to be a consistent starter after a productive stretch following the 2021 All-Star break.
Fast forward three years later, the new Philadelphia 76ers acquisition was ranked ninth by Bleacher Report in its list of the best players with the best or most team-favorable contracts that have at least three years left on the deal.
Caleb Martin signed a four-year deal, $32 million contract with the Sixers this offseason, turning down a reported offer of $65 million by his former team, the Miami Heat.
The Hornets certainly should have targeted him in free agency and, based on his current deal, could have afforded to bring him back. However, after breaking out in Miami in the previous three seasons, the North Carolina native was probably looking to secure a ring.
He nearly had a taste of such success when the Heat booked a trip to the 2023 Finals against the Denver Nuggets. And he wasn't just a spectator, as he had several outstanding performances in that year's playoffs, including lighting up the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals with averages of 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 3-pointers per contest on 60.2% shooting from the field and 48.9% from beyond the arc.
Evidently, Charlotte gave up on him too soon. It also didn't help that Oubre Jr. played just two seasons with the franchise before heading to Philadelphia, where he is now teammates with Caleb Martin.
As a consolation for the Hornets, they still have another Martin in Cody. The defensive-minded swingman will have to prove, though, that Charlotte didn't waive the right twin in 2021.