The Charlotte Hornets have been a consistently downtrodden franchise but may have changed their trajectory by drafting Brandon Miller in the 2023 NBA Draft. With Miller’s strong rookie season proving he has a high ceiling in the NBA, Tony Jones of The Athletic believes the Hornets should trade LaMelo Ball and focus on building through Miller.
“I think [Brandon Miller] is the best player on the roster despite [LaMelo Ball’s] counting stats being superior to Miller’s… When I watch Miller play, I see a younger version of LA Clippers forward Paul George. As controversial as this will sound, I would trade Ball and build around Miller.”
Miller has averaged 16.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in his rookie season. While he likely won’t be in the running for Rookie of the Year, he’s a shoo-in for the All-Rookie First Team and promises to be a potential star-level wing in the NBA. Miller’s game resembles his idol Paul George, who has previously led franchises before.
LaMelo has had another injury-stricken year, averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists in 22 appearances. His quality is visible when he’s on the court regularly, but the inconsistent availability stops the Hornets from making a run in their Conference. They’re 14-42 as the 13th seed in the East, headed to the lottery for the 6th consecutive year.
Building Around Both Is A Better Course Of Action
The Hornets don’t need to feel pressured into trading one of their two young stars when they can easily build around both. LaMelo and Miller play different positions, as Ball is the team’s point guard and Miller is a versatile wing. Unless you’re trading LaMelo for one of the top guards in the NBA, it makes no sense to get rid of his potential upside if he can find good health.
Ball is a former All-Star and is looked at as one of the league’s most gifted passers. His playmaking could be game-changing, especially with his size and theoretical defensive upside. The team should build around both until it’s clear that Ball cannot be trusted throughout a long season. He already has a long-term max extension to his name, so he must find a way to be available for the franchise.
The Hornets shouldn’t try and over-correct a pattern of bad decisions by trading Ball away. It shouldn’t even be on the cards. They made the right roster-clearing moves this winter by trading the likes of P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward. They can be impactful in the free agent market next summer or continue building with their young duo, with the likelihood of scorers like Miles Bridges also returning to the team.
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