![]() ![]() Let’s run through both scenarios, starting with a potential salary dump. The other would see them use their space to target a player who could become a long-term contributor. One would involve using their cap room to accommodate straight salary dumps in order to accumulate assets. There are two directions the Hornets could go as they pursue trades. However, the team should still have in the neighborhood of $20MM in cap room - unless ownership doesn’t plan on spending to the league’s salary floor, that means the club will likely take advantage of its cap space on the trade market. Kupchak has said multiple times in recent months that the Hornets don’t expect to be a major player in free agency this offseason. ![]() Will the Hornets be able to maximize their cap room on the trade market? Two years later, Gilgeous-Alexander is exactly the sort of rising star the Hornets could badly use, so Kupchak will be wary about missing out on a similar opportunity in 2020.Ģ. 11 to 12, clearing the way for the Clippers to take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, it’s worth recalling that one of Kupchak’s first moves when he took control of the Hornets’ front office in 2018 was to trade down one spot in the draft from No. Since Ball, Wiseman, and Edwards are widely considered to be the top three prospects in this year’s class, some interesting trade opportunities may arise for the Hornets - a team that covets one of those top three prospects could be willing to put together a significant trade package to move up. If he develops as planned, Wiseman could be Charlotte’s long-term answer in the middle. If Ball comes off the board before the Hornets pick, Kupchak could instead turn to Wiseman, an athletic seven-footer who remains a work in progress on both ends of the floor, but has big-time potential as both a scorer and a rim protector. And Graham and Rozier don’t have the same level of upside that Ball does. The Hornets’ top two scorers in 2019/20 – Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier – are also guards, but president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly stated that he won’t let positional considerations impact his pick in this year’s lottery. 3, with Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman in play for the first two draft slots. ![]() LaMelo Ball is widely considered by draft experts to be the player with the highest ceiling among this year’s prospects, and there are plausible scenarios in which he could slip to No. 3 in the draft puts the franchise in position to secure a player with All-Star potential. That’s not the case in Charlotte, where no current Hornets players have ever made an All-Star team or averaged 20+ PPG in a season.Ĭharlotte could badly use some star power, and jumping up to No. 3 overall pick?Ī number of the Hornets’ fellow lottery teams – including the Timberwolves and Hawks – have one or two rising young stars to build around. 38), but had acquired picks from the Cavaliers and Celtics at Nos. In the second round, the Hornets traded away their own pick (No. 3 spot in the draft and will have an opportunity to select one of the top prospects in this year’s class. They entered the evening with the eighth-best odds, but moved up to the No. With the possible exception of the Timberwolves, the Hornets were the biggest beneficiary in this year’s draft lottery. Our full salary cap preview for the Hornets can be found right here. They’ll also have the room exception available - it’ll be worth $4.77MM if the cap doesn’t increase. The exact amount of space the Hornets will have to work with will depend on where the cap lands and what they do with certain free agents and players with non-guaranteed salaries, but it projects to be in the $20MM range. While a couple of those contracts – Cody Zeller‘s and Nicolas Batum‘s – remain on the books for one more year, Charlotte is no longer on the hook for Bismack Biyombo, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, or Marvin Williams and will have a little cap room to work with as a result. The Hornets’ salary cap flexibility has been limited for years due to pricey commitments to role players. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets. We’re looking at the key questions facing each club, as well as the roster decisions they’ll have to make this fall. Hoops Rumors is previewing the 2020 offseason for all 30 NBA teams.
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