The Charlotte Hornets caught the NBA world by surprise when they jumped into the blockbuster deal between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks.
It was a masterclass move by Jeff Peterson and his crew, though, because they had resources to spare to join the party and bring home some draft assets in the aftermath.
Finalizing the details of the trade took some time, although there wasn't any threat of the transaction not falling through. The Hornets had the luxury of being patient with it because it had no impact on their media day since they weren't shipping out any player of consequence.
The Hornets' haul are multiple second-round picks
It appears the Knicks and Wolves needed to sweeten the pot for Charlotte because the North Carolina squad had to bring in salary amounting to more than $8 million.
The final trade framework will have the Hornets receive DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown Jr., Duane Washington Jr., and three second-round picks (two via New York and one via Minnesota). Interestingly, the organization technically won't have to shell out that much money because it will receive $7.2 million in cash.
The only piece it had to give up was the draft rights to James Nnaji, their second-round pick in 2023. The young big man is currently playing in Spain.
It's worth noting that Charlotte made history by being the first franchise to acquire a player (or players) using a signing exception, a new rule that was established in the latest CBA.
Charlotte will acquire the 3 players from New York with the $8M room exception.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 2, 2024
The Hornets become the first team to acquire a player(s) using a signing exception.
The rule was included in the 2023 CBA. https://t.co/UwOAhGdKY0
To say it was a fleece job from Hornets executive vice president of basketball operation Jeff Peterson would be an understatement. It would have been nicer for the team to have nabbed a first-rounder. However, New York has little to offer in that department.
A trio of second-round selections is already a great haul and will add to an already impressive collection of trade assets. The front office could use the picks to find more prospects in the next years or in possible future trades.
It remains to be seen what the squad will do with the players they netted.
Jeffries could maybe be of service to the team since the wingman showed the potential to be an efficient outside shooter in college, although that skill has yet to translate in the pro league.
Brown Jr. has yet to break out in the NBA, although he has played solidly in his three seasons in the G League. He has incredible length for a shooting guard, although the Hornets already appear loaded at the wing positions.
Perhaps Washington Jr. can nab a roster spot, especially since the combo guard played relatively well for the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns in his first two years in the league. Unfortunately, he couldn't get some playing time with the Knicks last season.
Even if those players don't pan out well in Charlotte, the second-round picks are already worth the team's trouble.