5 Players Hornets wish they could steal to pair with LaMelo Ball
By Jack Simone
As Summer League rapidly approaches, the Charlotte Hornets are simultaneously getting ready for that and another season with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller leading the way.
Summer League will provide the Hornets a nice opportunity to find new young talent to take a chance on, but it’s extremely unlikely that anyone they find this summer will be a big part of their rebuild.
Instead, Ball, Miller, Mark Williams, and rookie Tidjane Salaun will hope to lead a new era of Hornets basketball. But what if they could poach anyone they want?
Here are five complementary star players the Hornets wish they could steal to pair with Ball moving forward. (For the sake of avoiding adding the mega-stars like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, we’re just going to roll with All-Star-level players who would be complementary pieces.)
1. Bam Adebayo
If there was a big man the Hornets could steal a big man to play next to Ball, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo would be the perfect option for a multitude of reasons.
First and foremost, Adebayo’s defense would immediately transform the way Charlotte plays on that end of the court. Having a five-tool defender leading the charge would be incredible.
Ball isn’t a great defender and likely never will be, but having a guy like Adebayo would help make up for a lot of deficiencies on that side of the ball. The All-Star center would be a massive help.
On top of that, Adebayo’s pick-and-roll game would pair beautifully next to Ball, who is one of the best playmakers in the NBA. Adebayo is an elite screen-setter, and his rim-running would add a whole new level to the Hornets’ offense.