The Charlotte Hornets are better than their record suggests. They have been one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference for the past two seasons, but they’ve also dealt with a ton of injuries.
Should LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams stay on the court for the majority of next season, the Hornets should see a nice rise in the East standings. But is it enough?
The East isn’t nearly as competitive as the West when it comes to getting into the playoffs, but the Hornets still need to be proactive if they want a chance at getting there.
Contingent on the health of Ball, Williams, and the entire core, here are five Hornets trades that would immediately make them a playoff team.
1. Jerami Grant
The two biggest things the Hornets should be looking to add to their roster are defense and three-point shooting. Jerami Grant would bring both of those to the table.
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of what looks like it will be a long rebuild. And while they just extended Grant this past summer, they would likely give him up for the right price.
Davis Bertans is nothing more than matching salary in this deal, and the oft-injured Cody Martin would likely be the same, though he could be a solid piece if he gets health.
Nick Smith Jr. would be a nice project for the Trail Blazers to take on, and the draft capital would be valuable to them as well.
For the Hornets they would get an immediate upgrade on the defensive end, some three-point shooting to help space the floor for the rest of their lineup, and a guy who can create his own shot when he needs to.
Potential Hornets starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Jerami Grant, Mark Williams
2. Kyle Kuzma
This deal is similar to the first idea in the sense that the Charlotte Hornets would be adding a quality power forward to help round out their lineup, only this time, it would be Kyle Kuzma.
Hornets receive: Kyle Kuzma
The Washington Wizards ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving him a long-term deal that has him on the books through the 2026-27 season. However, he doesn’t really fit their timeline.
The Wizards aren’t anywhere close to competing for a playoff spot, so trading Kuzma would be a good way to add future draft capital in hopes of furthering their rebuild.
Once again, Davis Bertans would be in the deal to match salaries, as would Cody Martin. The picks, as noted, would help the Wizards push forward.
Meanwhile, Kuzma would give the Hornets a major boost, especially on the offensive end of the floor. His shooting and shot creation would pair nicely next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Having another guy they could rely on for consistent offense would be a very valuable asset, and Kuzma is no slouch on the defensive end of the court, either.
Should the Hornets decide to make this deal, however, they would have to be confident in Kuzma’s ability to fit in with their core long-term, as he’s under contract for a while.
Potential Hornets starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Kyle Kuzma, Mark Williams
3. Brandon Ingram
If the Charlotte Hornets really wanted to make a move and push forward, finding a way to snag Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans would definitely help them do that.
The question is, would the Hornets be able to offer the Pelicans enough to make the trade worth it for both sides involved? Would other teams be able to outbid Charlotte? Would they want to?
This is one of the best offers the Hornets could put together without completely overpaying, and the truth is, other teams around the league could hand out better ones. But the Hornets could at least try.
For the Pelicans, Grant Williams would be a solid 3-and-D option for them. He’s a versatile defender, and if his three-point shot can stay consistent, which is a question mark, he’d be useful on that end, too.
Nick Richards could give the Pelicans some cheap big man depth, as they may end up losing Jonas Valanciunas in free agency. It doesn’t solve their problem at the starting center spot, but he’s a fine player.
Plus, the Pelicans would save some serious money in this trade. They are trying to compete for the playoffs, but the second apron looms large.
Lastly, Vasilije Micic would provide them with a quality point guard off the bench, and the draft pick would be icing on the cake.
For the Hornets, the move is self-explanatory. Ingram is a top-notch scorer, a former All-Star, and would immediately improve Charlotte’s offense around LaMelo Ball.
Potential Hornets starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Brandon Ingram, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams
4. Alex Caruso & Nikola Vucevic
The Chicago Bulls should be looking to hit the reset button this summer, and if they do, the Charlotte Hornets could be the team to reap the rewards of their teardown.
Bringing in Alex Caruso to play alongside LaMelo Ball would be a huge win for the Hornets, as he has quickly emerged as one of the bst 3-and-D guards in the NBA.
His defensive presence in Charltote would help them transform their team on that side of the ball, and his ability to knock down threes would prove to be a valuable asset, too.
Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic is entering the final few years of his career, and a stint with the Hornets would help him usher in a new era as an NBA sixth man. He could give them some big-time minutes off the pine behind Mark Williams (and start if and when Williams deals with injuries).
For the Bulls, this deal would be all about hitting the reset button. All of the players they would get back in this trade would be almost exclusively salary fillers.
Jumping up five spots in this year’s NBA Draft would allow the Bulls to get a look at a whole new tier of prospects, likely including UConn big man Donovan Clingan, who they have reportedly shown an interest in. Plus, they’d get some more draft capital back in return, too.
Potential Hornets starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Alex Caruso, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mark Williams
5. Dejounte Murray
The two-guard tandem idea didn’t work for Dejounte Murray with the Atlanta Hawks, but that’s not the same thing as the way things could play out with LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
Bringing in Murray to be one of the top options on this Hornets team would theoretically take a on of pressure off of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
As for why this fit could be different from Murray’s fit with Trae Young in Atlanta—Ball is bigger, more comfortable playing off the ball, and, though still not great, less of a liability on the defensive end.
Murray’s three-point shot looked a bit more reliable last year, too, so he could give the Hornets some help around the perimeter, too, as floor-spacing is always important.
Meanwhile, this deal would allow the Hawks to start over a bit, and they could even consider moving Young in a separate trade if they really wanted to hit the reset button.
Davis Bertans’ contract would be off the books after next season, and all the other players they would be getting back are on relatively small deals.
Plus, they would recoup two firsts after they sent out a bunch in the deal to land Murray in the first place a couple of years ago.
Potential Hornets starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mark Williams