All things considered, it has not been a very good summer for the Charlotte Hornets. Besides failing to land any game-changing players, the availability of Miles Bridges is compromised now following his domestic abuse charges.
So, with a roster worse now than at this point last year, the Hornets have actually, somehow, taken a step back.
But not all hope is lost for Charlotte. As the summer rages on, they could still pull off a few more moves to help bolster their rotation. In an article by NBA Insider Marc Stein, he revealed the three names that the Hornets are considering adding this offseason.
The Hornets are said to have added Elfrid Payton to the list of guards they are considering along with the prospect of re-signing Isaiah Thomas or club legend Kemba Walker, who remains on Detroit’s roster with his anticipated buyout still on hold.
Any of three players would make a solid addition for the Hornets, but none of them would really move the team up a rung in the East.
For that, Charlotte would have to bring in a star like Donovan Mitchell — which are talks that the Hornets have also been engaged in.
After several weeks of no conversations, the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz recently re-engaged in trade talks centered on Donovan Mitchell, league sources tell The Athletic.
The Knicks and Jazz had a fresh trade conversation within the past week about potential packages for Mitchell, according to sources. There is no traction between the two teams on a deal, and no Mitchell trade is imminent for the Jazz, sources said. The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards are also among the teams pursuing Mitchell, those sources said.
All-in-all, the Hornets need some more firepower if they want to start building towards becoming a real playoff threat. After years of failure and obscurity, Charlotte finally landed a stud in LaMelo Ball.
But now, they need to surround Ball with enough talent, depth, and guidance to become the best player he can be.
For now, all they can do is scramble to add talent in what is quickly becoming another wasted summer for the Hornets.
