With the NBA trade deadline now in the rearview, Charlotte’s roster is finalized through the rest of the season. In typical Hornets fashion, the moves made at the deadline lacked a sense of urgency and were largely uninspiring. Breaking down the recent trades and assessing Charlotte’s current situation will provide clarity on what to expect for the rest of the season and in the near future. Now, take my hand and follow me into the darkness that is Charlotte Hornets basketball.
Where things sit, presently: Almost exactly two thirds through the season, Charlotte is 15-41 on the year. That record is 4th worst in the NBA. Tonight they take on the league-leading Boston Celtics, which will almost certainly end in defeat. The Hornets are last in the league in three point shooting percentage at 32% (well below the league average of 36%), and are currently in the midst of a five game losing streak.
Only two players on the Hornets roster had been available and played in every game this season, and Charlotte just traded away both. The lone bright spot here is that the 4th worst record translates to the 4th best odds at landing the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. Should the Hornets fall into the bottom three teams, that chance will grow even higher.
About those two former Hornets…
The trades: Charlotte traded Mason Plumlee to the Los Angeles Clippers for Reggie Jackson and a 2028 2nd round pick (per The Charlotte Observer).
Charlotte also traded Jalen McDaniels in a trade involving four teams that sent him to Philadelphia while netting them Svi Mykhailiuk and both a 2023 and 2027 2nd round pick (per NBA.com).
There’s really not much to get excited about here. Both incoming players don’t factor into the Hornets future very much, if at all (Reggie Jackson is rumored to have his contract bought out by Charlotte, and will probably never suit up for the team). Svi has already played for five different teams since coming into the league in 2018. Essentially, Charlotte moved two players they didn’t plan on keeping long term and secured some later slots in future drafts.
More than anything, these moves show Charlotte’s commitment to losing as often as they reasonably can in an attempt to draft another franchise-altering player to pair with LaMelo Ball this offseason.
What to expect going forward: Losses. A lot of them. Charlotte is still feeling the effects of losing a 20 points per game scorer in Miles Bridges and having to pivot to Steve Clifford as the head coach after a disastrous offseason last year. Those factors in addition to not having LaMelo for half the season this year have relegated our Beeloved Bugs back to the basement of the league.
More positively, expect to see much more floor time for the rookie Mark Williams, who is making his first career start tonight in Boston. With Mason Plumlee gone, Charlotte has freed up minutes for both Williams and Nick Richards. Also, moving McDaniels at the trade deadline tells me that the Hornets do not feel the need to add any depth to their existing wing rotation. That could mean Charlotte plans on keeping Kelly Oubre Jr. next season, and could maybe imply that a return of Miles Bridges is still on the table for the squad residing in the Queen City.
One last thought: Charlotte has to figure out a way to shoot better as a team, particularly from deep. LaMelo Ball is literally the only player on the roster currently shooting league average from 3. He’s not above league average, just right at it. That is simply not good enough, hopefully having more healthy Hornets will help improve things offensively as the season wanes. Go Hornets.
All stats sourced from basketball-reference.com. Thank you for reading.
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