The Charlotte Hornets are still stuck in the middle of the same rebuild they’ve been in since Kemba Walker left for the Boston Celtics in 2019.
Led by LaMelo Ball, who can’t seem to stay on the court, the Hornets have found themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings for the past two seasons.
Ball’s injuries have certainly hurt the Hornets’ progression, but when he’s on the court, he’s one of the best young guards in the league, and Charlotte should still be looking to build around him.
With that in mind, here are five free agents the Hornets should target this summer who are perfect fits next to Ball.
(Charlotte doesn’t have much cap space, so most free agency suggestions would involve using their MLE, which should clock in at just under $13 million per season. Plus, some are minimum-level players who could play rotation minutes.)
1. De’Anthony Melton
Ball is one of the best playmakers in basketball, but the Hornets have had one huge issue over the past few seasons: Defense. That’s what De’Anthony Melton would bring to the table for them.
During his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Melton turned into one of the league’s best players at nabbing steals, and his on-ball defense would give the Hornets’ backcourt a huge boost.
Standing at just 6-foot-2, Melton is a bit undersized, but next to Ball in the backcourt, who is listed at a whopping 6-foot-7, the pairing would make plenty of sense.
On top of his defense, Melton’s three-point shooting would also be super useful, as he would provide Ball with another outlet to dish to behind the arc on the offensive end of the floor.
2. Kris Dunn
This is a bit of a different concept than the idea of pairing De’Anthony Melton with LaMelo Ball in the Charlotte Hornets’ backcourt, as Kris Dunn would almost certainly come off the bench.
Dunn was the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but his initial career in the league faded out. He spent most of his time with the Chicago Bulls.
Throughout the course of his career, Dunn has always been a great perimeter defender. He’s averaged 2.0 steals per game multiple times in the early stages of his time in the NBA.
That said, he’s completely revived his career over the past two seasons with the Utah Jazz, becoming a staple of their rotation. And even though they haven’t been great as a team, Dunn has looked impressive.
The biggest thing that he’s improved on is his three-point shooting, and it’s taken him from an unplayable player to a genuinely impactful guy at the NBA level.
In 66 appearances with the Jazz this past season, Dunn shot 36.9% from behind the three-point line on 1.7 attempts per game.
On the Hornets, Dunn would help them reshape their defense. He could come off the bench and provide them with a spark on that end of the floor, and combined with Grant Williams, the pair could handle most top defensive matchups.
3. Malik Beasley
Just as the defense of Kris Dunn and De’Anthony Melton would be a huge help to LaMelo Ball by supporting the Charlotte Hornets’ defense, Malik Beasley would provide him with something on the offensive end.
In order for Ball to be at his best, he needs three-point shooters around him. Charlotte has some shooters on the roster in Seth Curry, Grant Williams, and Davis Bertans, but they can always use more.
Beasley was one of the best three-point shooters in the league this past year with the Milwaukee Bucks and even got the chance to compete in the NBA Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend.
Having another top-notch three-point shooter on the roster who could grow next to Ball and the rest of the core (Beasley is still only 27 years old) would be great.
Plus, Beasley isn’t a bad defender by any means. Curry and Bertans are subpar on that end of the floor, so having a guy like Beasley, who is more of a 3-and-D player than the others, would provide a new look to the offense on the wing.
Milwaukee will likely look to bring Beasley back, but if the Hornets really believe in him, they could look to overpay for his services.
4. Nicolas Claxton
Switching it up from the wings and guards of the first four list items, Nicolas Claxton would help the Charlotte Hornets by bringing some added depth at the center position.
Despite being hurt for the majority of last season, Mark Williams is still the Hornets’ center of the future. But just because he’s going to be the lead guy at the five spot doesn’t mean the Hornets shouldn’t add more guys.
Nick Richards just wrapped up the best season of his career. He played more minutes, averaged more points, and grabbed more rebounds than ever before. But Claxton would be a huge upgrade.
Claxton’s defensive presence alone would take the Hornets’ bench to the next level, and if Williams gets hurt again, he could seamlessly step into the starting lineup on any given night.
Plus, at just 25 years old, he would be another part of the Hornets’ core moving forward. With his defense and lob-catching ability, he’d be great next to LaMelo Ball.
Unfortunately, it seems very likely that the Brooklyn Nets will try to keep him around this summer, and since the Hornets can only give him their MLE, they probably don’t have a good chance of bringing him aboard. But they should try.
5. Derrick Jones Jr.
This is perhaps the best free agency target for the Charlotte Hornets to go after this summer as they hunt for pieces that could fit well next to LaMelo Ball moving forward.
The Dallas Mavericks signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a minimum contract this past offseason, and it turned out to be one of the best additions of the entire year.
Dallas is currently playing in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, and Jones Jr. has been a huge part of their run. He’s been starting at the small forward spot all postseason.
Jones Jr.’s three-point shooting isn’t amazing, but he’s turned out to be a defensive pest this season, and that’s something the Hornets should be desperate to have on the roster.
In addition to his top-notch defensive presence on the perimeter, Jones Jr.’s high-flying antics would provide Ball with a top-tier lob threat on the wing.
That said, with how well Jones Jr. has played for the Mavericks this playoff run, they will be looking to bring him back this offseason, and it would be up to him to leave if he wanted to. But with the role he’s carved out for himself in Dallas, he’s probably not going anywhere.