NBA free agency is fully underway, but the Charlotte Hornets haven’t done much quite yet. However, they are slated to benefit greatly from Klay Thompson signing with the Dallas Mavericks.
Thompson left the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won four championships, in favor of Dallas, inking a three-year, $50 million contract. However, the move will end up being a sign-and-trade, and the Hornets are reportedly going to get in on the action.
Hornets likely to land Josh Green in sign-and-trade deal that will send Klay Thompson from Warriors to Mavericks
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the sign-and-trade will include a portion of the deal that will send Mavericks wing Josh Green to Charlotte. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports noted that Charlotte has “coveted” Green and originally wanted him back in the PJ Washington trade.
Josh Green, sources said, was someone Charlotte leadership coveted back at the February trade deadline, when the Hornets sent P.J. Washington to the Mavericks. https://t.co/96MSaVgO7A
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 1, 2024
The Thompson trade is far from finished, as the Warriors and Mavericks are still working out the details, but should everything go according to plan, the Hornets are going to land a very impactful player.
Green is a top-notch 3-and-D wing who should give the Hornets a great boost on both ends of the floor. He has a real chance to win the starting shooting guard job next to LaMelo Ball in the backcourt.
This past season, Green was a big part of the Mavericks’ impressive season and run to the NBA Finals, providing them with quality minutes all year long.
During the regular season, Green appeared in 57 games, starting 33 of them. In those contests, Green averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 47.9% from the floor and 38.5% from behind the three-point line.
At 6-foot-5, Green is an impressive wing defender who should take some pressure off of Ball on that end, and if his three-point shot continues to improve, he should be a valuable commodity offensively, too.
In addition, Green is fairly comfortable as a playmaker and could take on a secondary role in that regard. And at just 23 years old, he has plenty of room to grow.
The Mavericks landing Thompson is great, but it’s also going to be a huge win for the Hornets, as they will be landing an impactful player.