JustBuzzin wrote:MasterIchiro wrote:Yes, incredible that Kupchak put us in position to be one draft away from playoff contention plus purchasing power to outbid other playoff teams.
We are much closer to being a team missing one piece rather than a team without pieces. We are not starting from scratch. Not even close.
Our front office and new ownership leveraged all our assets to perfection and timed the market perfectly.
They made a smart purchase. Winning basketball is in our future. Sustainable winking basketball, because we're young.
We Fe low-key on the OKC path if LaMelo and Mark can just stay healthy.
Will be interesting to see which star becomes available
over these next year or two.
The good thing about not trading our 2024 1st for Vassell is that if we were to miss the playoffs next season, we regain control of all our first round picks after next season.
So we only need to wait one season at most to regain control of all our own picks.
The next GM gets 1 year cushion to assess the market for star shooting guards who may be even better than Devin Vassell.
And since the 2 extra firsts Kupchak acquired (for the next GM) don't convey in either the 2025 or 2026 drafts, the team will have 2 years to play the market for a big star. A big star becomes available at least 1 time every other year.
Say what you will about the 4 of: LaMelo, Miller, Miles and Mark, we're one star.away from some fun playoff basketball that will be good for the city.
All Kupchak picks and Kupchap capital set the stage. Never once did his owner greenlight funds for an MLE player. It was always about the draft once Rozier and Hayward were given the keys.
The vets failed and Hornets couldn't throw money at problems - been overly cautious spending money. The money tied up in those 2 contracts forced the GM to pivot to a makeshift bench of 2nd round picks, major projects, cheap castoffs (Plumlee, Oubre).
Some lasted, most didn't. Martin and Richards are still here.
But now 4 first round draft picks have grown up and could form the starting lineup of the future, for many many years.
Sustainable winning.
The draft capital cupboard is full for trades. Hornets have the luxury of time whether or not they go all in by trading a high lottery pick in the 2024 draft.
It has been written...