NBA Trade Grades: Hornets to snag Willy Hernangomez from Knicks
Charlotte Hornets
In a vacuum, this is a good deal for the Charlotte Hornets. Snagging an All-Rookie prospect like Hernangomez, who is only 23 years old and under contract for at least two more seasons, is always a good idea. Doing so at the mere cost of two second-rounders and an unused big man is even better.
However, we also can’t ignore the immense frontcourt logjam Charlotte has right now, which somehow makes New York’s frontcourt look spacious by comparison. How does Steve Clifford find time for Dwight Howard, Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky and the incoming Hernangomez?
The simple answer is he doesn’t, and Hernangomez is likely the odd man out still.
@hornets do this:
— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) February 7, 2018
PG: Frank Kaminsky
SG: Johnny O'Bryant
SF: Cody Zeller
PF: Willy Hernangomez
C: Dwight Howard
You could make the argument that Zeller and Kaminsky have underwhelmed as former top-10 picks, but they’re also legitimately useful NBA players right now, putting them closer to rotation minutes than Hernangomez currently is.
The question is whether the Hornets have more moves planned to drain some of that clogged frontcourt. If they do, this deal will look even better.
If they don’t … going from Johnny O’Bryant’s 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game over 36 appearances to Willy Hernangomez is a worthwhile upgrade, but one that might ultimately be meaningless if they can’t clear out minutes for him.
The Hernangomez trade for CHA is interesting. He wants to play. No real PT available there. But...
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 7, 2018
What if there is another deal in the works that clears out a front court salary?
Even if not, still a great flyer for the Hornets.
People underestimate the value of second round picks in general, but it’s worth noting the second-rounders Charlotte sent out could potentially be valuable. After all, Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb and Dwight Howard all hit free agency in 2019, while Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will have player options to do the same.
This team could very well bottom out for 2019-20, which means those second-rounders in 2020 and 2021 could wind up being in the early 30s — making them much more valuable than your typical second round selection.
For now, Charlotte gets a solid grade for taking a quality flier on a young player with potential, but we’re going to need to see further movement on the trade block for it to really pay off.
Next: 2017-18 Week 17 NBA Power Rankings
Grade: B