The Charlotte Hornets were eliminated from the postseason on Wednesday night, losing to the Atlanta Hawks 132-102 in a matchup between the Eastern Conference’s ninth and tenth seeds. Despite the Hornets’ early playoff exit, they showed improvement from the previous season, increasing their win total by nine games to a solid 43-39 final regular season record.
- 1. Trade For Russell Westbrook And Clear Their Salary Cap For The Summer Of 2023
- 2. Trade For A Top Defensive Center
- 3. Trade For An Underrated Two-Way Wing
- 4. Select A Defensive Wing In The 2022 Draft
- 5. Michael Jordan Teaches Russell Westbrook How To Become A Winning Player
- Charlotte Hornets 2022-23 Starting Lineup
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LaMelo Ball, 20, is a superstar in the making and one of the most talented building blocks in the NBA, a player who could be the most valuable player on a championship team. Miles Bridges, 23, is in the conversation for the Most Improved Player Award, increasing from a 12.7 PPG average in 2020-21 to 20.2 points nightly this season. Together, Ball and Bridges form an excellent foundation for the Hornets to build around.
Still, Charlotte owner Michael Jordan and GM Mitch Kupchak have their work cut out for them during the offseason. The Hornets finished the season ranked 23rd in the NBA in defense, and they look like they are one superstar away from becoming legitimate championship contenders.
Below we outline Five moves the Charlotte Hornets can make during the 2022 offseason to produce immediate results next year and help their future prospects.
1. Trade For Russell Westbrook And Clear Their Salary Cap For The Summer Of 2023
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre Jr.
NBA insider Marc Stein initially reported he heard mutterings from Charlotte that Michael Jordan would be interested in taking on the final year of Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract next season for Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. in a book clearing move. Stein’s idea was largely dismissed as rumors. However, several NBA executives have come forward over the last week, saying they’ve heard this trade idea has gained real traction in the Hornets front office, and they could bring in Brodie for one year.
The Hornets would be wise to trade Russell Westbrook for Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. They’d take on Brodie for one season and shed the final two years ($61 million) of Hayward’s contract along with Oubre Jr.’s final year. Charlotte would create enough cap space during the 2023 offseason to chase unrestricted free agents Nikola Jokic, Khris Middleton (player option), Andrew Wiggins, D’Angelo Russell, or Draymond Green (player option) to pair with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
The Hornets probably won’t see much of a dip in their overall production next season with Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr. off in LA. Since coming to Charlotte, Hayward has been in and out of the lineup with constant injury problems, playing in only 44 games the previous season and 48 this year. While Hayward’s been on the court, he’s been a solid offensive wing, but the Hornets are stocked full of scorers. They need shutdown wings, and Hayward doesn’t have the size or lateral agility to seriously bother his assignments. Kelly Oubre Jr. is the Hornets’ prime 3-and-D wing off the bench, but he doesn’t shoot the ball from deep at an above-average clip (34.5 3P% in 2021-22), and he’s one of their weakest defenders, allowing his assignments to shoot 3% over their season average. The Hornets would be better off finding two defensive-first wings to take Hayward and Oubre Jr.’s place to help bring their 23rd ranked defense inside the top-15.
Russell Westbrook could be a problem for the Hornets. He’s coming off a disastrous season in Los Angeles as one of the league’s worst three-point shooters and perimeter defenders. Still, Brodie’s only one year removed from averaging a triple-double while leading the NBA in assists for a Washington Wizards squad he helped drag into the playoffs. Westbrook was an awful fit with the Lakers, but he could help a Hornets squad with better perimeter shooters.
From the Lakers’ perspective, this is a straightforward decision. Westbrook crashed and burned in LA, and GM Rob Pelinka will do anything to unload his massive contract this summer.
2. Trade For A Top Defensive Center
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers Receive: P.J. Washington, Montrezl Harrell, 2023 First-Round Pick
The Hornets finished the season with a top-10 offense and bottom-10 defense. Charlotte was particularly poor at guarding the rim, finishing 26th in the league in opponent shooting at the basket, allowing opposing squads to hit 62.6% of their attempts within five feet of the rack. P.J. Washington is a talented young center, but he doesn’t offer top-tier rim protection with only 0.9 blocks per game and 7.7 contested shots nightly in 2021-22. Montrezl Harrell always gives 110% and is an explosive offensive weapon. Unfortunately, at 6-7, he doesn’t have the size to be a solid defensive anchor.
The Hornets could find a better rim protector by trading P.J. Washington, Montrezl Harrell (sign and trade), and their 2023 first-rounder to the Pacers for Myles Turner.
Myles Turner is the biggest name in this trade, but he comes with a crate full of risks. He’s missed nearly as many games as the constantly criticized Anthony Davis over the past two seasons, and at this point, his unicorn skills are merely theoretical. Turner has only hit a sub-par 33.5% and 33.3% from deep during 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively, taking away some of his offensive value. Still, Turner is a two-time Blocks Champion who is a top-10 rim protector when he’s available. The Hornets need to make this deal regardless of the hazards. Turner is just what they need to turn their defense around. Together with one or two solid defensive wings, Turner would provide the type of backline, mistake-canceling lane protection that could help propel Charlotte’s defense toward a better-than-average mark and a trip beyond the play-in tourney.
The Indiana Pacers have been looking to trade the oft-injured Myles Turner for the past six months. This deal would give them a solid young center with a sweet outside stroke in P.J. Washington, an excellent offensive weapon with Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick to help their rebuilding project.
3. Trade For An Underrated Two-Way Wing
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Harrison Barnes
Sacramento Kings Receive: Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, 2023 Second-Round Pick (via Boston)
Terry Rozier is an excellent scoring guard with an explosive first step toward the hoop. He is also one of the most consistent mid-range shot-makers in the league with a 52.1% hit rate from 10 to 16 feet in 2021-22, who also has no problem stepping beyond the arc and draining threes. Rozier isn’t merely a one-dimensional vacuum scorer either. He’s a solid playmaker (4.5 APG in 2021-22) with an excellent drive and kick game. Simply put: Terry Rozier is one of the best offensive shooting guards in the NBA.
The Hornets have LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, two of the best young scorers in the league. Rozier’s one-way skill set would be incredibly useful to a dozen or so scoring-deprived organizations in the NBA. The Hornets don’t need his offense. Michael Jordan would be wise to take advantage of Rozier’s development in addition to Bouknight’s potential for Harrison Barnes.
Harrison Barnes is one of the premier 3-and-D wings in the NBA. He shot 39.4% off 4.7 attempts from deep in 2021-22, and at 6-8, 225-pounds, he has the prototypical size to hound the likes of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Kawhi Leonard on the perimeter or down on the block. The Hornets routinely got smacked by the league’s top offensive wings throughout the 2021-22 season. Barnes would step into Charlotte’s starting unit and immediately make an impact as a legitimate ballhawk who can hold his own on an island against anyone in the NBA. A healthy Myles Turner with Harrison Barnes and a more engaged Miles Bridges could see the Hornets become a genuine two-way team that doesn’t need to blitz the opposition on offense to win.
The Kings are a mess. They should jettison Barnes, whose talents are wasted amid their constant rebuilds, for two young and gifted players, Terry Rozier and James Bouknight.
4. Select A Defensive Wing In The 2022 Draft
The Charlotte Hornets are projected to pick toward the bottom of the 2022 draft lottery and should look to add a defensive wing.
Jeremy Sochan is the premier defender in the draft, a 6-9, 230-pound tornado who can guard all five positions on the court. Sochan, 19, already has the strength to cover NBA big men on the inside and the quickness to stay in front of elite point guards.
Sochan’s jumper is broken, though. He shot 29.9% from distance off 67 attempts during his lone NCAA season. Even more damning, he missed nearly half of his shots at the charity stripe, connecting at a 57.5% clip.
Sochan’s shooting limitations are good news for the Hornets. If the Baylor forward had a reliable jumper, he’d rank among the top-4. As things stand now, his defensive potential could still place him just outside Charlotte’s range at the back of the lottery. Still, if teams shy away from taking Sochan, wary of his jumper, the Hornets should jump on him. He’d give their bottom-tier defense a tremendous boost, and if he develops even an average three-point jumper, he could become the steal of the draft.
If Sochan is off the board when the Hornets pick, they should select Tari Eason out of LSU. Eason, 21, doesn’t have the same potential as Sochan, but he’s an excellent defender in his own right. At 6-8, 216-pounds, Eason has the size to handle bulkier players on the block, and he also has the speed to contain guards on the perimeter.
Tari Eason also featured an advanced offensive game. He shot 37.1% from beyond the arc off 70 attempts, and he drew 5.6 free throws per game, mainly off quick bursts to the rim against opposing forwards or centers throughout 2021-22.
Tari Eason doesn’t have the game-changing defensive chops of Jeremy Sochan, but he’s an excellent consolation prize.
5. Michael Jordan Teaches Russell Westbrook How To Become A Winning Player
Russell Westbrook is without a doubt the biggest question mark when it comes to our strategy for the Hornets. Some fans would undoubtedly prefer to see Michael Jordan and the Hornets buyout Westbrook, afraid his attitude and usage rate would stunt LaMelo Ball’s growth in the backcourt. Charlotte management shouldn’t rule out a buyout, but that should be their last option.
Despite Brodie’s struggles in Los Angeles, he’s still a talented player with one of the league’s most effective drive and kick games. He also has all the tools to become a lockdown point-of-attack defender.
Michael Jordan is the GOAT, and if anyone can get past Westbrook’s massive ego, it’s him. Jordan would need to sit down with Brodie over the summer and explain everything clearly to his new point guard. His argument would be simple: If Brodie flops in Charlotte the way he did in Los Angeles, and Jordan takes Houston’s route, giving Westbrook the John Wall treatment before buying him out, it could be his last hooray in the NBA.
Michael Jordan has to persuade Russell Westbrook to stop stat-padding and focus on what it takes to win, such as playing 110% defense, setting screens, and attacking the rim. If Jordan can get through to Westbrook, he could be a massive bonus for the Hornets next season and beyond on a more reasonable contract.
Charlotte Hornets 2022-23 Starting Lineup
Our redesigned Hornets starting lineup features a more well-rounded collection of players. All-Star LaMelo Ball is the group’s leader, a playmaking dynamo who is more than capable of finding good looks for Bridges, Barnes, and Turner. Brodie (if things work out) would supply supplementary playmaking along with Bridges. Harrison Barnes would step in as the Hornets’ top wing defender, and Myles Turner would provide the type of rim protection Charlotte has been dying for.
After one season, the Hornets would come off Westbrook’s $47 million player option with enough money to chase a superstar during the summer of 2023. If Charlotte followed our master plan they would get better next year and beyond.
