I Still Know What They Should Do This Summer: Charlotte Hornets

[loserX]

Hi all: we've done threads like this the past few years and gotten to see some really good ideas and creativity, so here's one for now. (Will we do all the teams? Maybe! If there's a team you'd like to see, feel free to suggest, or start your own thread!)

The idea: for the team listed, plan out their offseason as you see it: front office, trades, draft, free agency. Obviously at this time there is a LOT of uncertainty about what the rest of the season/offseason will hold, but we can use some assumptions, and if you're here it means that like me you don't have a lot else going on

Today's team is the Charlotte Hornets. Another team that spent a few years chasing a lower playoff seed, only to start selling off when things fell short again this year. A couple of long-time vets got bought out, and now the team has the biggest of big questions to answer: Okay, now what?

ROSTER
Nicolas Batum...27,130,434
Terry Rozier.....18,900,000.....17,905,263
Cody Zeller...... 15,415,730
Malik Monk...... 5,345,667
PJ Washington... 4,023,600... 4,315,120 (TO)... 5,808,435 (TO)
Miles Bridges.... 3,934,320... 5,421,493 (TO)
Devonte Graham. 1,663,861 (ung)
Cody Martin...... 1,517,981... 1,517,981
Jalen McDaniels.. 1,517,981 (ung)... 1,782,621 (ung)... 1,930,681 (ung)
Caleb Martin...... 1,517,981 (ung)... 1,782,621 (ung)

Total of above for 2020-21: $80,967,575

UFAs: Bismack Biyombo, Willy Hernangomez
RFAs: Dwayne Bacon, Kobi Simmons, Ray Spalding

Draft picks: assuming current draft order, Charlotte would have the #8 pick in the 2020, and #32 and #56 in the second round. They own all their own future firsts, and have two seconds in 2021 (BRK/LAC), one in 2022, and none in 2023.

There are some options here: what should the Hornets do?

Questions to consider:

Buzzworthy?: the Hornets are a proud franchise, but since returning to Charlotte the team has generally been a lot of "pretty good" and "not bad" and "okay". Their biggest impact player, Kemba Walker, is gone. Their young players show promise (I quite like Washington), but generally not perennial-all-star promise. (The #8 pick in this particular draft isn't likely to change that either.) This incarnation has made the playoffs several times and have *zero* series wins to show for it.

No one is suggesting they go all in right now (far from it), but this team is in dire need of a little Q rating. What's the vision for getting them to relevance?

Cap and Capability: the team's cap structure, at least, holds some promise. They have more room than most teams this year. Batum and Zeller will free up another $42M+ between them next year (though some will surely be set aside for Devonte Graham, who had a nice breakout). Should the team look for usable free agents? Sell 2020 and possibly future cap for assets? Make a trade for an impact player?

So...if you ran the Hornets, what would you do?

[loserX]

(As always, the more specific, the better!

"Get good young players" - like who?
"Sell capspace and get picks" - from which teams and for what players?
"Sign value FAs" - such as?

Have fun with it )

[TheBrooklynKidd]

Would they be interested in Jarrett Allen and #20 for #8 and a 2nd?

They’d get a 21 y/o starting center and stay in the 1st round.

Bridges, Washington and Allen is a solid frontcourt of the future. Next they have to find someone to pair with Graham in the backcourt and figure out if he’s a 1 or a 2.

[NotACat]

I really think they should be looking to acquire Horford. Something like Rozier and Zeller for Horford + Zhaire + 1st rounder

[babyjax13]

I know Hornets fans won't like it, but I'd shop Graham. He is 25 and Charlotte is a long way away from being a good team. They've really got nothing going for them other than having some okay role players (like, the entire team). Really, the only players I'd try to keep are Washington/Bridges, and I'd even be willing to move Bridges if the price was right. They should not trade their pick unless it is to move up.

Graham to Phoenix for 10+Lecque
Charlotte gets the highest pick they can for Graham + a guard prospect, Phoenix gets a starting caliber long range bomber.

See if there is any salary they can take on for picks (don't really see that being the case).

I'd also shop Rozier/Zeller/Monk/Bacon for just about anything they can get. See if for some reason Dallas might be interested in something like Rozier/2nd(s) for Powell/Wright/18 (probably not). Then just draft well. They've done okay recently with Washington/Bridges. I'm not a huge Bridges fan, but he looks like a rotation player, at least.

[HartfordWhalers]

Someone literally just notified me on this post, so bringing it here:

I do think Rozier would be interesting next to Simmons. Ben could do the actual pg stuff, and guard the taller better guard. Rozier could chuck, and hit a lot of 3's.

Not sure how to make that work unless it involves Tobias or Horford, and I have a lot of thoughts there...

Here goes:

Rozier/Zeller for Horford/Zhaire/#22/ '21 1st top 10 protected.

Charlotte gets a Horford that might be flippable (would absolutely be the aim), and if not can help add veteran-itude to the team and 2 1sts for Rozier; with the cap hit difference *only* being 20m all in.

Philly does it to try a Rozier/Richardson/Tobias/Ben/Embiid lineup that looks more like a lineup.

[HartfordWhalers]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

[NotACat]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

I don't think Orlando would be interested in Rozier unless they're moving Fournier.

[giberish]

My usual team-building plan certainly applies to Charlotte as well.

Draft and development is how you build your core. So you'll have to do that well to build something.

Selling cap space for pick/prospect value is good if you're getting solid value in return but you don't have to go crazy this way.

Getting good youngish players on good contracts is better then long-term cap space, so don't be afraid of 3 or 4 year deals if you think there's a good value guy out there.

1-year filler deals can be used to round out a workable rotation around the long-term guys, but you don't need to overstuff your roster with them.

[HartfordWhalers]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

I don't think Orlando would be interested in Rozier unless they're moving Fournier.

Thought would be Rozier plays more the 1 and some 2, taking Augustin's old minutes and capable of playing with Fultz using Rozier as the shooter. And being a Fournier back up in case he doesn't return, or a Ross alternative in case he plays poorly next season.

[babyjax13]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

I just don't see a team with so few high level assets trading a lottery pick for a non-lottery pick and a player at a position they don't need to fill. PJ Washington is fantastic (but I'm biased, I LOVED him in the draft and thought he had really high upside, everyone else just saw a boring player...but I also loved Jerome Robinson, so take it with a grain of salt) so I don't see why Gordon would be that valuable to them. I could see a three way where Orlando got Graham, though, and Phoenix got Gordon, and Charlotte got 10+15+stuff. There's some balancing that would need to happen, though.

[azwfan]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

I just don't see a team with so few high level assets trading a lottery pick for a non-lottery pick and a player at a position they don't need to fill. PJ Washington is fantastic (but I'm biased, I LOVED him in the draft and thought he had really high upside, everyone else just saw a boring player...but I also loved Jerome Robinson, so take it with a grain of salt) so I don't see why Gordon would be that valuable to them. I could see a three way where Orlando got Graham, though, and Phoenix got Gordon, and Charlotte got 10+15+stuff. There's some balancing that would need to happen, though.

That framework looks really good to me. Not sure who is worth what, but I'd think PHX has shown interest in Gordon and Graham would be a nice add for Orlando.

[Texas Chuck]

My usual team-building plan certainly applies to Charlotte as well.

Interesting. I think we definitely have to take into account the specific organization and what their history has been. I would definitely view Charlotte differently from most other teams in that I don't think building toward an eventual champion is ever really front and center.

[getrichordie]

All I know is that the Hornets need scoring and lots of it. They are currently ranked dead last in PPG.

[NotACat]

Alternative idea, try and get Orlando to bite on Rozier for Aaron Gordon. On principal I would not do 8/Rozier for 15/Gordon; but maybe someone feels 8 and 15 are similar enough to do it? Would want to be really sure you aren't screwing up the draft...

I don't think Orlando would be interested in Rozier unless they're moving Fournier.

Thought would be Rozier plays more the 1 and some 2, taking Augustin's old minutes and capable of playing with Fultz using Rozier as the shooter. And being a Fournier back up in case he doesn't return, or a Ross alternative in case he plays poorly next season.

We can get better value for AG in that case. Trading a quality wing defender (which is in high demand) for a small, high usage guard to come off the bench and is getting paid $17M isn't a good decision. Especially since he'll be taking touches away from Fultz

[giberish]

My usual team-building plan certainly applies to Charlotte as well.

Interesting. I think we definitely have to take into account the specific organization and what their history has been. I would definitely view Charlotte differently from most other teams in that I don't think building toward an eventual champion is ever really front and center.

To me, if your only long-term goal is to be an 8th seed swept in the 1st round then you have no business running an NBA team. Obviously some franchises would be more ok being a 45-50 win team and just maintaining that while others would consider that a high-level treadmill situation and look to make risky/aggressive moves from there. That really effects decisions made later on in team-building though.

The starting plan would be pretty similar with variations based on what assets you have, how far along your young core is and whether there's any chance at all of a 'bargain on a max contract' FA signing with your team in a few years.

[HartfordWhalers]

My usual team-building plan certainly applies to Charlotte as well.

Interesting. I think we definitely have to take into account the specific organization and what their history has been. I would definitely view Charlotte differently from most other teams in that I don't think building toward an eventual champion is ever really front and center.

To me, if your only long-term goal is to be an 8th seed swept in the 1st round then you have no business running an NBA team. Obviously some franchises would be more ok being a 45-50 win team and just maintaining that while others would consider that a high-level treadmill situation and look to make risky/aggressive moves from there. That really effects decisions made later on in team-building though.

The starting plan would be pretty similar with variations based on what assets you have, how far along your young core is and whether there's any chance at all of a 'bargain on a max contract' FA signing with your team in a few years.

Winning 40-45 games, bringing exciting NBA to a city that might not have it anyway, and being operating breakeven or a minor profit maker instead of losing money to chase a highly unlikely championship seems totally fair choice for some. I think it is better for the NBA league at large that charlotte go for more of what they have been, than bottom back out as a 10 win team chasing the next Embiid/Giannis/Luka through the draft.

But don't get me wrong, I fully appreciated when Philly went the other way.

[FutureKnicksGM]

Win now CHA?

I like the Rozier, Zeller for Horford, Smith, Scott, 20 First idea.

- Sign DeRozan to a 3 year 75 million deal (with 3rd year partially guaranteed like Horford).

- Sign a SF with whatever cap they have left, say Crowder?

- Room exception on a Center- maybe Noel?

Horford/Noel
PJ/Scott
Crowder/Bridges/Batum
DeRozan/Monk/Zhaire
Graham

+ 8, 20, 32

And if he’s still on OKC at the end of the offseason, maybe a stealth CP3 trade for Batum, Zhaire & Scott.

[HornetJail]

All I know is that the Hornets need scoring and lots of it. They are currently ranked dead last in PPG.

We definitely need scoring, no doubt, but a lot of that 30th rank in PPG is on coaching. We are dead last in pace, because way too much of our offense revolved around Rozier (and Devonte' to a lesser extent) pounding the rock until the shot clock hit 5 and then the rest of the offense is in panic mode. We don't have a big man to throw the ball to in the half court. Graham isn't a high-pace run and gun type of PG, but I don't doubt he can run an offense that is in the top half of the league in pace.

There's no doubt in my mind that Graham is a building block, but I'd go into the next couple drafts preparing for the rest of the roster to be replaceable. Miles, PJ, Monk are nice, but not players that should factor into our draft or free agent decisions the next couple years.

[getrichordie]

All I know is that the Hornets need scoring and lots of it. They are currently ranked dead last in PPG.

We definitely need scoring, no doubt, but a lot of that 30th rank in PPG is on coaching. We are dead last in pace, because way too much of our offense revolved around Rozier (and Devonte' to a lesser extent) pounding the rock until the shot clock hit 5 and then the rest of the offense is in panic mode. We don't have a big man to throw the ball to in the half court. Graham isn't a high-pace run and gun type of PG, but I don't doubt he can run an offense that is in the top half of the league in pace.

There's no doubt in my mind that Graham is a building block, but I'd go into the next couple drafts preparing for the rest of the roster to be replaceable. Miles, PJ, Monk are nice, but not players that should factor into our draft or free agent decisions the next couple years.

So you guys are firing Borrego?