Charlotte Hornets will not trade No. 6 overall pick in 2024 NBA Draft
By Evan Sidery
Unlike teams such as the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, who have already let it be known they are ready to trade their lottery selections, the Charlotte Hornets are conducting a more patient approach.
Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall said this week to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer that they were disappointed to fall to No. 6 overall in the NBA Draft Lottery, but still enthused with potential prospect options.
“Yeah, disappointed but I also think it’s a good draft to have the sixth pick.” Schnall said. “So, I think we are going to be fine. We just talked to our guys and we are excited about having the sixth pick. Disappointing, but we are confident we are going to find a good player.”
In a year like this one, with no real consensus atop draft boards, Charlotte can stilladd an impact player. If they play their cards right and trust scouting intel, a few prospects within their range make a ton of sense to potentially select.
Hornets new general manager Jeff Peterson also spoke a similar tune when discussing the Hornets’ draft options on ESPN this week.
"I've told our group, I'm excited about this draft,” Peterson said. “We have the opportunity to add someone who's gonna ultimately impact our team, impact winning.”
Charlotte will be conducting a thorough approach getting to know these projected top-10 prospects, too. Not only will the Hornets bring players in for pre-draft workouts, but also what makes them tick overall. In scouting, the mental side nowadays is even more important than what’s produced on the court.
"You want to know what motivates them, why do they play the game,” Peterson said. “Who’s in their circle, who can influence them one way or the other? Get a gauge for their work ethic/work rate, how good do they want to be?”
Recently the Hornets have had a solid hit rate, most recently No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and starting center Mark Williams. However, under this new aligned regime, it appears they will really be locking in on hopefully finding a franchise-changing player to pair alongside an already strong young core headlined by LaMelo Ball.
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place on June 26, including the second round taking place the following day for the first time ever.
Stay tuned to Swarm & Sting for all the latest Hornets-centric draft coverage.