The Charlotte Hornets' core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel can benefit from having another playmaker in the rotation. Tre Mann has been sent to the end of the bench. What if the Hornets use him as a trade chip to bring in a true point guard?
That's exactly what Zach Roberts of Sports Illustrated had in mind when he came up with a mock trade featuring Mann. In his proposal, the Hornets would send the embattled combo guard to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Tyus Jones and a 2032 second-round pick.
Even without diving deep into the idea, the trade looks like an excellent haul for Charlotte. Securing a second-rounder for Mann at this point might be a pipe dream for the franchise. However, Orlando could be in the market for a potential microwave scorer off the bench, and a change of environment could be what he needs to return to form.
The Hornets might hesitate to let Mann go. But with other score-first wing players already on the roster, they could easily be enticed to swap him for more draft capital and a once-renowned backup floor general.
Tyus Jones, a good fit?
It's no secret that Charlotte's offense stumbles hard whenever Ball is subbed out. Even with Miller and Knueppel on the court, the offense can be stagnant at times. That much was evident when the team tried to play Ball as a reserve against the Indiana Pacers.
While Miller and Knueppel have shown the ability to create for themselves and others, they still thrive more for now when being set up for high-percentage scoring opportunities.
A potential dilemma for the Hornets is that it looks like Ball will be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future. It also remains to be seen if they will continue to take him out of the starting lineup in one game of their back-to-back sets.
Perhaps Jones is the solution to their playmaking problem. He might be able to help facilitate the offense and make life easier for Ball, Miller, and Knueppel.
A look at the veteran's play this season could be a counterargument to that notion. However, prior to joining the Magic this past offseason, he established a reputation as one of the league's finest role players. His assist-to-turnover ratio was always off the charts. Jones wasn't the most efficient scorer, but he wasn't a shot-chucker either, and it was only last season when he averaged 2.0 3-pointers per contest on 41.4 percent shooting.
No one has been able to pinpoint where things have gone wrong for him this year. But the way he has fallen off a cliff is jarring. Is the 29-year-old guard's game already in decline?
It's also possible that he just needs a change of scenery, like Mann. In that case, the Hornets might want to explore trading for him if they can acquire him for a low price.