Grade the Trade: Mock sees Hornets franchise-altering player in 3-team trade

The Charlotte Hornets are in prime position to take a big step forward next season should injury luck be on their side. LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams need to stay healthy. That’s the most important thing.

But beyond that, they should be looking to add a nice blend of young pieces and impact players this summer, as they should hope to jump into the Play-In Tournament mix next year.

They can begin doing that during the 2024 NBA Draft, as they own the No. 6 pick. But what if they decided to shake things up in a big way on draft night?

Hornets land Reed Sheppard, trade Miles Bridges in 3-team mock trade blockbuster with Rockets, Pelicans

A recent mock trade written by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has them doing just that, so let’s take a look at the deal and grade it.

In this mock trade, the Hornets would trade up in the draft to grab a player, Reed Sheppard of Kentucky, who fits in perfectly with what they are building. They would also get Cam Whitmore

They would send out Miles Bridges to the New Orleans Pelicans in a sign-and-trade, and they would get the sixth pick as well. Jae’Sean Tate and the No. 44 pick would also go to New Orleans.

Lastly, the Rockets would add Brandon Ingram in this trade, solidifying a potential playoff contender with him as the final missing piece.

Now that the full mock trade Buckley wrote has been outlined, let’s go through and grade it for every team involved, starting with the Rockets. The Hornets grade will be on the final slide.