NBA trade grades: Hornets will deal Dwight Howard to Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Let’s just say that Kupchak’s first move as GM of the Charlotte Hornets doesn’t inspire much confidence.

As ESPN‘s Bobby Marks explains, the chief reason for this deal is related to the luxury tax for the upcoming 2018-19 season. Getting rid of Howard’s $23.8 million expiring contract ensures the Hornets will miss the luxury tax next year, giving them a $13 million cushion.

Howard’s locker room antics were reportedly rubbing his teammates the wrong way, so it’s no surprise Charlotte wanted to move on from the eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. It’s also not surprising this will be his fourth team in the last four years.

However, even if Howard’s days as a legitimate difference-maker on the defensive end are well behind him, there’s no question the Hornets got the short end of the stick here. D-12 is not a top-10 center anymore, but he still put up a respectable 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last year.

He didn’t help Charlotte reach the playoffs, but the Hornets were 3.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. There’s no question Howard is a far more useful player than the incoming Mozgov, who averaged 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 11.6 minutes per game last year.

Mozzy played a grand total of 31 games in Brooklyn last season, and only suited up in 54 games for the Los Angeles Lakers the season before that — right after Mitch Kupchak had signed him to an unforgettably atrocious four-year, $64 million contract in free agency.

The worst part is, as of right now, the Hornets are taking a short-term approach to their ugly cap sheet. They’ll duck the 2018-19 luxury tax, yes, but it comes at the cost of an extra year of Mozgov’s salary. Howard’s contract would’ve expired next summer, but now, Charlotte is on the hook for the remaining two years and $32.7 million of Mozzy’s salary.

The Hornets got worse in this trade, they took on an additional year of salary ($16.7 million) with one of the worst contracts in the league, and all they have to show for it is being able to avoid the luxury tax next season, the 45th pick in this year’s draft and a 2021 second-rounder.

More moves have to be coming, right?

Considering Kupchak’s first move in the Hornets’ front office is trading for one of the worst contracts in the NBA that he himself was responsible for creating, this is a less than inspiring start to his tenure in Charlotte. Fingers crossed more moves are coming, and soon.

Grade: D+