Charlotte Hornets: 5 goals for the upcoming 2018 offseason

CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 8: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on April 8, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images /

4. Work to avoid the luxury tax/get under the salary cap

The Hornets had the 13th-highest payroll in the NBA this season. That’s way too high for a team that finished where it did. Of the 12 teams that spent more than Charlotte, only two of them missed the postseason. I bring all this up to say that the Hornets have spent a lot of money on mediocre results.

Once Charlotte hires its head coach, the team should work to widdle this robust payroll down. The team is projected to have $119 million in guaranteed contracts, which would put it well over the salary cap and on the precipice of paying the luxury tax. The Hornets have to cut into that improve the roster, but where do they start?

All of their players are locked into deals for this season. They could trade some of their players, but who will take on some of these salaries? Who’s going to take on Nicolas Batum, who is owed more than $76 million over the next three seasons (including a $27 million player option in 2020-21 that he will almost certainly pick up)? Which team is going to trade for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams or Cody Zeller with their respective salaries?

Kupchak and the rest of the Hornets front office will have to work some magic to avoid the tax. If the team wanted to do something radical, they could make a couple of trades…

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