3 Hornets trades with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
By Jack Simone
The Charlotte Hornets are heading into the draft with the sixth-overall pick, which could give them a chance to add another young player to their core in hopes of brightening their future.
However, what if the Hornets decided not to make the pick? Rather than bringing in another super young player who may need extra development, why not trade for a player who can help LaMelo Ball compete for the playoffs right away?
There are a few win-now players who could be available on the market, and teams may be willing to trade up in the draft to snag players they like.
With that in mind, here are five trades with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft that would help the Hornets and Ball compete next year.
1. Zach LaVine
This fit is wholly imperfect, as Zach LaVine is an imperfect player, but he would undoubtedly step in as one of the Charlotte Hornets’ top players for the next few years.
The Chicago Bulls just traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey. This may not signal a full-on rebuild, but the Bulls are definitely looking to shake things up.
lavine hornets
On top of that, there have been a ton of rumors in recent weeks that Chicago is looking to move on from LaVine this summer, and they seem relatively desperate to do so.
That said, the Hornets could be a much better fit for LaVine than the Bulls are. Playing next to a top-tier point guard and playmaker like Ball would be a massive help.
LaVine’s shooting and shot creation would give Charlotte’s offense a nice boost, though their defense wouldn’t get much help. Overall, however, this would make the Hornets better.
At this point, the Bulls likely just want to get off of LaVine’s contract, so the Hornets probably wouldn’t have to pay a super high price. In return for LaVine, the Bulls would get to move up five spots in the draft, get salary-filler, and add two second-round picks.
Chicago has reportedly been looking to move up in the draft to land Donovan Clingan, too, so this could help them do that.