The Charlotte Hornets stood pat on the first night of NBA free agency. They didn’t make any moves, and nobody left their team to go elsewhere. It was a complete stalemate.
Only a few players changed teams, as organizations around the league were avoiding the potential of getting hit with tampering violations, so there is still a ton of movement set to go down.
Led by LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the Hornets should be doing everything they can to add talent to their team. Especially young talent. A great way to do that is to take chances on young players who could pop.
Here are five bargain bin free agency targets the Hornets could turn into stars in their respective roles.
1. Talen Horton-Tucker
The Hornets have an open spot in the starting lineup at the shooting guard position. Up to this point in his career, Taken Horton-Tucker hasn’t been able to put it all together, but he has all the tools to succeed.
With his length, he would immediately give the Hornets a bit of a boost on the defensive end, and it would be up to the coaching staff to help get him on the right track on offense.
No one is going to be clamoring to sign Horton-Tucker in free agency this year, and that’s exactly why the Hornet should look to take a chance on him.
He’s still only 23 years old, can handle the ball well, and is a quality defender. There’s something the Hornets can work with there, and Horton-Tucker could be worth a flier.
2. Isaac Okoro
Are the Cleveland Cavaliers going to re-sign Isaac Okoro? Or has his time with the organization run its course? If the latter is true, then the Charlotte Hornets should absolutely swoop in and snag the youngster.
Okoro is still only 23 years old, and he’s a major plus on the defensive side of the ball. Charlotte’s defense has been so bad in recent years that fact alone should make them want to take a chance on him.
However, if the Hornets can help him continue to develop his three-point shot, who knows what type of player they could turn him into?
3. Kira Lewis Jr.
Nothing has worked out for Kira Lewis Jr. at the NBA level. He spent a little over three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, getting little to no minutes, and he’s bounced around with the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz since.
The 23-year-old guard hasn’t been able to earn significant opportunities yet, but perhaps the Hornets could take a chance on him in the same way that they took a chance on Dennis Smith Jr.
Lewis is a speedy guard who constantly hustles and gives his all on both ends of the court. If Charlotte can get him to buy in to the backup role they want him to play, maybe he can show why he was a first-round pick not too long ago.
4. Saddiq Bey
After one-and-a-half seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, it seems as though they may be choosing to part ways with Saddiq Bey. The 6-foot-7 wing has shown a ton of potential as a scorer but hasn’t stuck with the Detroit Pistons or Hawks.
However, the Hornets could use some additional bodies on the wing, and Bey is still just 25 years old. Adding him to the lineup to give them a nice scoring punch would be a fun choice.
Bey’s comfort with the ball in his hands would make him a very useful asset to bring off the bench in Charlotte, and he still has some room to grow as a player, too.
5. Jordan Nwora
One of the most important skills to have on an NBA roster is three-point shooting, and that’s what the Hornets need to put next to LaMelo Ball. Jordan Nwora could bring that to the table.
Though wasn’t able to put together an efficient season this past year, that could largely be due to his inability to generate a rhythm. More minutes could lead to more better rhythm, which could lead to better shooting efficiency.
At 6-foot-8, he’s had multiple seasons where he shot 40% from behind the arc, and that alone should be enough for the Hornets to take a swing.