The Charlotte Hornets are currently in a position that one year ago they did not imagine they would be. Last season they were 19-17 heading into the New Year and were looking like one of the most promising young teams in the NBA. Flash forward to the present day and they are sitting at 10-26 and near the absolute bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Last season they had their 10th win on November 19, 2021.
Some of it may be out of their control, however. Miles Bridges went and committed domestic violence after finishing up a promising 2021-22 season, although there is talk that the Hornets are currently discussing a new deal with Bridges. LaMelo Ball was injured to start this season and has missed 24 of the Hornets first 36 games.
Whatever the reason may be, the Charlotte Hornets start has put them at an interesting crossroads with the NBA trade deadline a little under two months away. This team is not very good and there is little chance that they are able to right the ship within the next month and a half. The 2023 draft is shaping up to be a good one with the cream of the crop being French sensation Victor Wembanyama who has been drawing all kinds of praise from the basketball world. Here’s a look at a couple of moves the Hornets could make with the NBA trade deadline approaching.
1 Kelly Oubre Jr. gets traded to a contender
Out of all the players on the Hornets roster who could be moved, Oubre is the one with probably the most trade value. He’s still relatively young at 27-years-old, is a productive wing player and he has an expiring contract. There are quite a few contending teams that could use his production off the bench. This season he is averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field. He’ll help the Hornets win some games here and there and thus hurt their chances at a shot at the top overall pick. That makes him the most likely candidate to get moved. The Hornets should have no shortage of suitors and it doesn’t really matter what they get back in the deal as long as their lottery odds increase.
2 Mason Plumlee continues the fire sale
Moving the veteran players will certainly get the Hornets closer to the top pick and that’s what they’ll do when they move Plumlee. Plumlee is having a really solid year and there are definitely playoff contenders who need a backup center that can give you 10.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. Also, a Plumlee move will open up minutes for players like Mark Williams and Nick Richards. It doesn’t really make sense for the Hornets to keep Plumlee around after the deadline and continue giving him major minutes over the younger centers.
3 The final domino falls
Earlier this season, Gordon Hayward’s wife went on a tirade about the Hornets not taking care of their players in a move that could mean the Hornets wing’s unhappiness with his current team. Hayward’s name has seemingly come up in trade rumors quite frequently, the only issue is that his contract is not appealing to potential trade partners. His shooting numbers have also slipped this season from his first two years in Charlotte. That said, he’s still a double-digit scorer and perhaps on a playoff team with some real structure, he can raise his shooting efficiency. It’s going to be tough to move that contract, but it expires after next season and the Hornets will find some playoff team entertaining the thought of adding a scoring veteran off the bench to gear up for the playoffs.
4 PJ Washington stays put
PJ Washington’s name has come up in trade chatter even before the start of the season and they’ve looked into trading him before. It’s a bit odd considering Washington is still a young player with some upside who can still be part of the team’s future. He can play both forward positions and some small-ball center and he can shoot from three-point range. The trade chatter seemed to arise from potential contract issues ahead of Washington hitting restricted free agency this coming off-season. The Hornets front office has not been one of the best in the league, but wise up in this instance and realize they have a keeper in Washington.
The best course forward for the Hornets is simple: try to increase their odds for the No. 1 pick as best they can. By trading away some of their veteran players, not only will they ensure that, but they’ll also open up playing time for their young talent.
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