Charlotte Hornets: 3 Deadline Fire Sales That Should Be On Team’s Radar
By Jon Shames
The Charlotte Hornets are going to be buyers during this year’s trade deadline. Luckily for them, there are plenty of sellers, too…
Who could’ve predicted that after opening 2015 with a 12-4 record, the Charlotte Hornets would drop three games in a row, all to non-playoff teams (in the East)?
More from Charlotte Hornets
- Brandon Miller, not Victor Wembanyama, is the rookie to watch in 2023
- 5 players who will challenge Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year
- Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
- 4 Reasons drafting Scoot Henderson should be a no-brainer for Hornets
- Ranking the 5 best available power forwards in 2023 NBA free agency
Me, probably you, and probably most of the other fans that have been watching this team since November.
The loss against Philadelphia could’ve been written off as a trap game. The other two? Not so much. It takes a remarkable level of mental instability to drop those three games, especially considering the Hornets hosted both the Pacers and Pistons in Charlotte.
Now, the Queen City’s team has no momentum heading into the All-Star break, and with the trade deadline looming on the horizon, tough decisions will have to be made.
Charlotte already sent away Gary Neal, bringing in former All-Star Mo Williams and former D-League star Troy Daniels in the process. Still, while Williams will be a good option to hold down the fort during the absence of Kemba Walker, it’s tough to foresee the Hornets, a team that wasn’t great even when healthy, staying dormant at this year’s trade deadline.
Michael Jordan wants a real playoff push in the team’s re-inaugural season, and Charlotte’s current roster just doesn’t have that in them.
Luckily, there’s a few teams looking to sell, and Charlotte could easily capitalize on these fire sales. Veterans that have no place being on a rebuilding team are prime targets for playoff clubs during this time of year. With that, here are a few potential places for the Hornets to go shopping on the 19th of February.
Brooklyn Nets
One wonders how the Nets’ aging trio of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams has remained in tact as long as it has.
Then, one realizes it’s Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams, and it’s not that much of a surprise.
All three have already seen their best days, and at this point, Johnson is the only one that is still considered “good” (for lack of a better word). Still, his contract, set to pay him almost $50 million over the next two seasons, drives many potential buyers away. He is a bit more durable than the other two Nets ‘stars’, but at 33 years old, his health is far from guaranteed.
Still, the Nets are looking to get younger, and that means ridding themselves of their outdated core.
Charlotte has already discussed a potential deal with Brooklyn already in hopes of getting rid of Lance Stephenson, but at the deadline, the buyers would undoubtedly have the leverage; if Brooklyn is unable to find a buyer, all three of the injury-prone and overpaid players will probably be on the roster for at least another year.
None of the three are a perfect fit in Charlotte, but for a low price (as far as return goes), it might be worth taking on the financial burden.
Minnesota Timberwolves
As previously stated, the Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves already completed a deal earlier this week.
Still, that doesn’t mean the fun has to end there.
Before trading Kevin Love, Minnesota was believed to be a playoff contender. Yet to completely disassemble its roster, the team still is home to numerous veterans that would be much better off on a contending team. Kevin Martin, Chase Budinger, Nikola Pekovic, and even Thaddeus Young could be potential targets for the Hornets to strengthen their second unit (in Young’s case, their first).
Minnesota has been stockpiling young talent and draft picks, and luckily for the Hornets, they have plenty of both. The Wolves are undoubtedly looking to add a Jahlil Okafor to their solid core of Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad, and Gorgui Dieng, and getting rid of their aging (yet productive) talent certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.
The gave Williams up for pretty much nothing … who’s to say the same won’t be the case for their other vets?
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets remain one of the league’s more curious teams.
They certainly have the talent to be a playoff squad, led by All-Star snub Ty Lawson, but somehow have remained a lottery team for two straight seasons.
The Nuggets surprised many when they parted ways with general manager Masai Ujiri and head coach George Karl after a stellar 2012-2013 season, one in which the team grabbed the third seed in the West.
Instead of hiring an established coach, management went after Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, who has been pretty awful, even considering the injuries he’s had to deal with since the beginning of last season. The Nuggets have been horribly inconsistent, generally a good indication of poor coaching.
It’s miraculous that Shaw has kept his job for as long as he has, but he still sits on the Nuggets’ bench night after night.
It’s clear that Denver has no shot at a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference, and because of that, its front office has been shopping a couple of guys, notably Arron Afflalo, Randy Foye and Wilson Chandler (per Marc Stein).
The Hornets would be smart to pursue any of the guys Denver is dangling on the trade block. All are excellent three-point shooters, and are capable of playing two positions. Acquiring Wilson Chandler would help fill the need at the power forward position, and Foye would undoubtedly strengthen the backcourt.
The real prize, however, would be Afflalo. Since his Orlando Magic days, Afflalo’s name has come up in Charlotte’s trade rumors, and now could be the perfect time to make a deal for the sweet-shooting wing.
His numbers are down a bit this year, but he still remains an excellent offensive weapon, despite a few deficiencies (ball handling, shot selection). Charlotte is still on the hunt for three-point shooters, and Afflalo would also fill that void.
The issue is, Denver is looking for first round picks for both Chandler and Afflalo, so really, the most realistic option might be Randy Foye, a good shooter in his own right.
Of course, there is still the chance that Charlotte decides to remain quiet come February 19, but if they do plan on searching for help, Minnesota, Brooklyn, and Denver should be among the first places they look.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout