Offseason Thread

[JDR720]

Since we have nothing else to do this season. Figured it's time for the early offseason thread.

Draft Picks

1st round:

Top 5 (Us)
27th (Denver)

2nd round (current as of 3/5):

34th
39th
42nd

Free Agents:

Oubre
PJ (restricted)
Dennis
Nick
Svi
Theo

[JMAC3]

Since we have nothing else to do this season. Figured it's time for the early offseason thread.

Draft Picks

1st round:

Top 5 (Us)
28-30 (Denver)

2nd round (current as of 3/5):

34th
42nd


Free Agents:

Oubre
PJ (restricted)
Dennis
Nick
Svi
Theo

We also own the higher of Mavs/Heat 2nd this year.

[JMAC3]

Also pointing out we have 9 guys under contract for next year.
Ball, Terry, Gordon, Cody, Mark, Bouk, Kai, Thor, Bryce.

We have 6 roster spots open (8 if you include 2 ways) 5 picks, 7 free agents if you include Miles.

Sof if you want to bet on Utah and Miami/Dallas 2nds as the new 2 ways. Three rookies under real contracts. That leaves us 3 non-rookie roster spots for 7 Free Agents, plus any other free agents.

Probably safe to assume Svi and Theo are gone.

[yosemiteben]

I would package both 2nds and that DEN 1st if possible.

[JMAC3]

I would package both 2nds and that DEN 1st if possible.

It would just depend how high it got us.

With Mitch draft history, I might rather just take 3 swings.

[yosemiteben]

I would package both 2nds and that DEN 1st if possible.

It would just depend how high it got us.

With Mitch draft history, I might rather just take 3 swings.

I'm on the fence. Not real interested in tying up roster spots for Kai, Thor, Bouk, McGowens, Theo, plus 4 additional 1st year players. That's 9 roster spots.

I'd rather move Bouk + a package of current picks for a decent role player. I like making developmental bets, but we can't do it with half the roster and I think jury is out on some of our current bets.

[SWedd523]

There's no way they leave the draft with 5 picks.

I'm betting 2, maybe 3 of those picks get traded on draft night.

[bravor]

The problem here is to identify draft as landing unplaybale rookies. There are no just freshman around. Couple years ago i was advocating for Tillman (when this team was missing defensive playable big) and it's not like his case is exceptionnal. Every draft has its number of nba ready profiles (last year we had Murray who had a promising first season with sactown).

Kupchak likes to put all his eggs in the same basket as we say here. And the least we can say is that his draft record is bad with 18/19 yo prospects.
Ideally they do a mix. Still need to hit with the lottery pick, but he can gamble on both ends with other picks.

As for the interest of drafting all the 5 picks this year, i gonna have to disagree. For a simple payroll purpose, it's critical for the Hornets to land some quality prospects and develop them.
At worst, you draft and stash one guy in Europe (preferably a big) especially if it's not a spanish team (because of the buy out issue). And preferably not a jump shooting kid with range blabla. I am not a scout (and no way i am pretending to be) but the level of some international scouts seem to be seriously lacking (not talking about Givony, talking about some franchise around, esp. here).

[SWedd523]

Roster needs to have a lot of turnover this offseason to really accomplish anything of note. Running the squad back for a third (fourth?) year is not going to get the job done.

5 picks, multiple expirings, vets they've looked at trading in the past, etc. Mitch needs to get busy.

[LofJ]

I agree with Yosemite, we need to consolidate our roster and prioritize development of the guys we want to keep long-term. We can't go into next season with Bouknight, Thor, Kai, McGowens, and 3 additional rookies on the roster. We need to make a consolidation trade.

Unless a Donovan Mitchell type player becomes available we aren't talented enough to attach a top 5 pick. So we're stuck with a bunch of guys other teams won't value that much, a late first, and a few early seconds as our tradable assets.

[JDR720]

Read on Twitter

[JDR720]

I don't know how plugged in Boone actually is, but I didn't like any of those answers. Some of them are nuts.

Why are any of the vets playing at this point in the season? What is Steve Clifford doing? — @MARSAYLAH_ via Twitter

So you mean to tell me that with just under a dozen and a half games left, Clifford is supposed to tell the team’s oldest players to take their sneakers and basically go home? With five weeks left? That makes no sense. There will come a time near the season’s tail end where the end-of-the bench guys get more playing minutes and Clifford has said as much. But now isn’t the time, grasshopper. For one, 10 of those final remaining 16 games are at home. After paying their hard-earned money, fans will want to see at least one big ticket player out there. Plus, Clifford isn’t the type to turn the Hornets into the Greensboro Swarm for the rest of the season just to increase their odds to potentially land Victor Wembanyama.


Is the sense that Clifford will continue to be the coach next season? — @akaCK via Twitter

Why wouldn’t he be? While you can put some blame on him for a few things that haven’t gone in the Hornets’ favor in the handful of games they’ve been whole, Clifford isn’t the one to pin their record on. Injuries have to be taken into account. That gives him a pass. And on top of all that, did you forget about the extension they gave James Borrego in 2021? Well, it didn’t kick in until this season. Do you really believe the Hornets want to pay three coaches?

Do you think the Hornets look to extend both PJ Washington and Miles Bridges this offseason? — @Matthew_Risser via Twitter

That seems to be the plan. The Hornets like PJ a lot and it’ll come down to numbers as it always does in free agency. But having the ability to match any offer Washington receives on the open market gives the Hornets the upper hand, and they’ll certainly use it to their advantage. As for Miles, from everything that’s been gathered on this end, all indicators are nothing has changed in regards to what The Observer has previously reported about the Hornets’ interest. But it’s still going to hinge on the results of the NBA’s investigation.

[fatlever]

the answer to #1 is simple
- keep playing vets, just not 35+ mins (esp in a game we are losing by 40), maybe cap vets at 25-30
- increase mins for Mark & Bryce, plus one of Kai/Thor and one of Bouk/Theo (maybe even Nick/Kai - if we want to see more Kai @ 5)
- and move Terry back to SG or else he and Kelly will hog shots and nobody else gets in the flow

Aint nobody paying to see Terry, Gordon and Kelly. At this point fans are merely coming because they already paid, or for the experience or to see the other team

[Hornet Mania]

Boone comes off as kind of a dick in those first two answers.

"So you mean to tell me..."

"Did you forget..."

"Do you really believe..."

Chill out dude, not everything has to be handled like a twitter fight. Talking down to your readers is generally not a great idea.

[wilson115]

"grasshopper"?

[amcoolio]

Boone is a MJ company man confirmed

Fluff answers at their finest

[Braggins]

I wish there was anyone covering this team who didn't come from the "you pesky fans need to stop complaining and trust Clifford" school of thought...

[JDR720]

The Clifford answer was the worst. I know we're not going to fire him. But it's not just this season either. He'd get a pass if he hadn't already been fired here before. He has the same flaws now that got him fired last time.

I agree the 1st answer was pretty condescending. Nobody is paying money to watch these vets play in meaningless games. At least the young guys could give fans a reason to tune in.

[JDR720]

Here is my rough and unresearched plan, assuming we don't draft Wemby.

- Resign DSJ 2yrs 10m
- Resign Nick 3yrs 25m
- Sign & Trade PJ. I've been on the keep him bandwagon and still would if he is cheap. But somebody will offer him 20m and it's too much.
- Try to trade Gordon or Rozier.
- Trade Kai or Thor. I'd keep Kai based on pure "what if" potential. Thor is just not useable on offense.
- Package the Heat/Dallas pick + 42 to move up into the 30's.
- Sign a 3&D wing or two.


Melo - DSJ - Denver Pick (can flip this depending on who the Denver pick is)
3&D player - Bryce - 2nd round pick
Top 5 pick - Gordon/Rozier (if we keep him) - Martin
Miles - 3&D player - 2nd round pick
Mark - Nick - Kai

[SWedd523]

Boone is a MJ company man confirmed

Fluff answers at their finest

Even worse, he's doing the Bonnell pretentious thing talking down to people

Ask us questions

p.s. our answers are going to be demeaning