Hornets trade for Devonte Graham is latest deal in string of future-driven moves

The Charlotte Hornets made a trade to bring back ex-Hornet Devonte’ Graham, but they waived him following the deal. In the trade, they got back a second-round pick from the San Antonio Spurs, who were simply looking to unload salary off their books.

San Antonio has been very active this summer. They signed Chris Paul in free agency and got involved in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, landing Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings.

In this move, the Hornets stepped in to help the Spurs offload salary so they can afford to take in the players that they’ve added this offseason.

That’s what the Hornets plan on doing this summer.

Hornets trade for Devonte Graham with Spurs is latest in string of moves that signal correct rebuild

Charlotte isn’t focused on winning right away. They want to develop their young core on their own time, with head coach Charles Lee leading the charge in the best way he knows how.

By allowing Lee to shape Charlotte’s young core in a way he sees, the team will have a chance to reevaluate their talent and reassess which pieces they want to move forward with.

Obviously, guys like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Tidjane Salaun, and Mark Williams are the core nucleus of the team, but guys like Tre Mann, rookie KJ Simpson, Nick Smith Jr., and others need to be assessed.

Since the Hornets are focused on rebuilding and investing in their young core, they are making moves to help other teams free up space while simultaneously adding draft capital to their own cupboard.

This has reportedly been their plan since the beginning of the offseason. On June 21, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that the Hornets and Detroit Pistons were two teams viewed as organizations willing to take on unwanted salaries.

Since then, the Hornets have done just that. They’ve made a deal with the Denver Nuggets, taking on Reggie Jackson from the Denver Nuggets, and also brought Graham on board by way of the Spurs.

Charlotte has also waived Davis Bertans, Bryce McGowens, and Aleksej Pokusevski in recent days, clearing up more space on their books.

The Hornets have been toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the past few years, but they are still committed to conducting their rebuild in the right way.

They don’t want to rush things, and their willingness to take on bad contracts in trades is proof of that.