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Complete 2017 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

By Gerald Bourguet

Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NBA Draft
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Malik Monk (Kentucky) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number eleven overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Charlotte Hornets

Malik Monk (No. 11), Dwayne Bacon (No. 40)

During draft week, the Charlotte Hornets got Dwight Howard for practically nothing, moved up 10 spots in the draft and got rid of Miles Plumlee’s contract. That alone made it a success.

However, they weren’t done there. Though the Hornets traded the No. 31 overall pick on draft night (to the New Orleans Pelicans for No. 40 and cash), they got one of the steals of the first round thanks to Malik Monk somehow falling all the way to No. 11.

Donovan Mitchell was the name that kept popping up all week for the Hornets, but when a pure shooter and dynamic scorer with microwave potential was still on the board, nobody could blame them for bolstering their bench with additional firepower. Monk should be one of the best players in the draft; him falling that far made this an easy pick.

At No. 40, the Hornets also scooped up another potential walking heat check in Florida State’s Dwayne Bacon, who could become a sort of Dion Waiters, Lance Stephenson, irrational confidence kind of guy. What more do you need to know?

Charlotte had limited cap space to work with this summer, but thanks to Monk falling, smart second round drafting and the Howard trade that reunites him with his old assistant coach Steve Clifford, the Hornets brought the buzz back this week.

Grade: A