Grade the Draft: Hornets 2025

[JMAC3]

I have it open to allow you to change your vote if tonight sways yours opinion.

Kon pick
Liam pick
Mark trade

Overall grade

[EmpireFalls]

D+ because I liked the McNeeley pick. Awful value on a very underwhelming player in Kon. The Mark trade is just unforgivable, two late firsts for the best center we’ve had in decades.

Potential to move up to a C depending on what we do in the 2nd round tonight.

[KembaWalker]

Given I made multiple posts each since November solely about the two guys we drafted being the worst case scenario outcome of that miserable season, it’d be inconsistent for me to give it anything but a well earned F.

[JMAC3]

Hard to really grade this draft very high for me, I had both guys lower than where they were selected on my final Big Board. Also, think both guys are pretty repetitive and have a hard time seeing scenarios where we are dying to play them both together.

Kon: I had him ranked 11th, we took him 4th. Would have felt a bit better if there was a trade back and we took him, but overall would still be down on the pick. Perimeter shooting was pretty far down my list on the needs list. I will consider that many folks had him ranked higher than me, so open to the idea that I am just wrong, but that will take some time. I am not going to get prospect blindness just because my team drafted him. Grade: D+

Liam: I had ranked 32nd, we took him 29th. Would feel better about the pick if we had gone another direction at 4, because both guys are very similar. Again, Perimeter shooting heading into draft wasn't crazy high for me and that was before drafting Kon. I will consider some people were higher on him than me so maybe I am wrong again and this will be a great value pick. Grade C-

Mark Trade: Feel like the headline of 2 firsts! is a bit misleading. 29th was nearly a 2nd, 2029 worst of Cleveland, Utah and Minny looks like a late first potentially- with little upside. If we were done with him at least we got some value I suppose but this is a good bit worse than initial offer which offered a lot more upside of unprotected Lakers, unprotected swap and Knecht who I think alone is probably close to the entire package we got for Mark. Grade C

Overall, we took two win-now players with lower ceilings- while also taking a step back by trading Mark and weakening our front court. Going to be hard to win right now with Nurkic/Diabate as the Centers and drafting Kalk or Raynaud today isn't fixing that spot- they are both backup tier guys. The vision just isn't clear and this felt like we were tugging on both ends of the rope of trying to be competitive and tanking.

I give it a D so far.

[MasterIchiro]

UConn fan here.

Gave it an F.

[fatlever]

I should at least wait until the draft is over before grading it.

[JMAC3]

I should at least wait until the draft is over before grading it.

You can change your vote in the poll, but also how much is the 33rd pick really swinging your vote?

Especially after Peterson took KJ Simpson in the draft last year, who we don't even include in depth charts on here at this point.

[JustBuzzin]

D

No diddy

[fatlever]

I should at least wait until the draft is over before grading it.

You can change your vote in the poll, but also how much is the 33rd pick really swinging your vote?

Especially after Peterson took KJ Simpson in the draft last year, who we don't even include in depth charts on here at this point.

you do you... i'll wait

[Walt Cronkite]

Last year's thread, for anyone curious: https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=2390056&p=113982457&hilit=draft#p113982457
B's and C's (9 each) for the Salaun/Simpson haul by the group of 25 voters. Only 3 D's and 4 F's.

[luciano-davidwesley]

Kon D

McNeely B

Mark trade D- (returned dead cap space and two crappy picks, woof)

Not trading down at 4 or trading back into the first with 29, 33 and 34 D-

Overall D


For now it's a solid D. Unless we make a good trade on day 2, I doubt the second round picks will sway my grade much either way.

Fully expecting us to trade at least one of these seconds for future seconds or a warm body at C.

[fatlever]

so far

kon = B
liam = B
mark trade = A

we'll see what happens with 33/34

i'm trending towards B

[yosemiteben]

I'm philosophically opposed to next day draft grades so am abstaining

[GiggitySmalls]

The only positives I can think of is now we dont need Jeffries, Baugh, Moore crap going on anymore. We got 2 guys that are already better then any one of them. We can stop that gross g league in and out crap from last year. Also hopefully it keeps Josh Green off the floor as much as possible eventually but not right away. If kon hits and Mann is back healthy like reported we dont need to see Josh Green. Which im big on. Liam an backup Miller and play with okogie on injured nights. Hopefully this isnt as bad as some are making it out to be. Atleast we got NBA level players and contributors compared to last years draft. We still have some moves to make but we made an improvement. Would be a big improvement if we added Tre instead of Kon i can see him being a multiple time all star. I like kon but he doesn't have tre level potential and Tre from all reports is a grinder DNA type guy himself. Kon actually was a massive contributor though for Duke and carried Duke on nights when Flagg was out and even played as good as Flagg at times. So im willing to take a lets see approach. The kid is definitely talented for sure. Hopefully he reads realgm hornets board and takes it personal.

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[luciano-davidwesley]

The only positives I can think of is now we dont need Jeffries, Baugh, Moore crap going on anymore. We got 2 guys that are already better then any one of them. We can stop that gross g league in and out crap from last year. Also hopefully it keeps Josh Green off the floor as much as possible eventually but not right away. If kon hits and Mann is back healthy like reported we dont need to see Josh Green. Which im big on. Liam an backup Miller and play with okogie on injured nights. Hopefully this isnt as bad as some are making it out to be. Atleast we got NBA level players and contributors compared to last years draft. We still have some moves to make but we made an improvement. Would be a big improvement if we added Tre instead of Kon i can see him being a multiple time all star. I like kon but he doesn't have tre level potential and Tre from all reports is a grinder DNA type guy himself. Kon actually was a massive contributor though for Duke and carried Duke on nights when Flagg was out and even played as good as Flagg at times. So im willing to take a lets see approach. The kid is definitely talented for sure. Hopefully he reads realgm hornets board and takes it personal.

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How much copium did you take before bed? You hated the pick yesterday

[GiggitySmalls]

The only positives I can think of is now we dont need Jeffries, Baugh, Moore crap going on anymore. We got 2 guys that are already better then any one of them. We can stop that gross g league in and out crap from last year. Also hopefully it keeps Josh Green off the floor as much as possible eventually but not right away. If kon hits and Mann is back healthy like reported we dont need to see Josh Green. Which im big on. Liam an backup Miller and play with okogie on injured nights. Hopefully this isnt as bad as some are making it out to be. Atleast we got NBA level players and contributors compared to last years draft. We still have some moves to make but we made an improvement. Would be a big improvement if we added Tre instead of Kon i can see him being a multiple time all star. I like kon but he doesn't have tre level potential and Tre from all reports is a grinder DNA type guy himself. Kon actually was a massive contributor though for Duke and carried Duke on nights when Flagg was out and even played as good as Flagg at times. So im willing to take a lets see approach. The kid is definitely talented for sure. Hopefully he reads realgm hornets board and takes it personal.

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How much copium did you take before bed? You hated the pick yesterday

I actually beat down my doctors door at midnight and out him in an arm bar until he prescribed me a 100mg copium prescription to be picked up in the morning. Worked like a charm. Not drafting tre will haunt me no doubt. But this is not a Salaun situation. Not even close. Both players have NBA level talent. Salaun would go in the 40s in this draft.

Hopefully these 2 got that TJ, Peyton, Austin white boy fire.

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[HornetJail]

so far, the Mark trade drops a B- down to a solid D

Fs are reserved for repeats of the Salaun pick, which Kon for sure isn't... although the loss of Mark is probably more noticeable on the court than any draft pick we could have made.

[GiggitySmalls]

Atleast these 2 aren't pussys like melo. Not only is he the most pussy player maybe in the league hes on the spectrum.

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[fatlever]

settled on a B

[Bassman]

Last night was MAJORLY PISSED at Jeffie…not so much for picking Kon, but for not TRADING BACK to select Kon. Still hate his lack of guts on that non-move…same as his lack of guts to trade back last year. Kon was the guy they wanted after the VJ pick, and Jeffie convinced himself the whole world would draft him if he didn’t do it.

But he’s a quality player. He will perform better than many expect, and disappoint on other levels, especially in his rookie year. I did think Liam was a bit of a duplication but he’s a heck of a player who I think can become our 6th man contributor in time. James brings many skills and a great physicality to his role. And the cherry on top is Kalkbrenner, who may surprise everyone relative to stepping up at the next level. We sure need him to be that second round surprise.

I grade a B, same as ESPN. CBS Sports gives an A.