Charlotte Hornets: 2018 NBA Draft grades

The 2018 NBA Draft has come to a close. So how did the Charlotte Hornets do with their draft picks this year?

The Charlotte Hornets had a lot more questions than answers entering the 2018 NBA Draft and trading away one of their better (but expensive) players the day before the draft just added to those questions.

One of the biggest questions going into the draft was the status of Kemba Walker. If they kept him, would they be able to keep him in free agency next year? Could they surround him with enough talent to want to stay?

If they traded him, could they get enough back for him? Would they be able to commit to a full re-build even if they did trade him? Other contracts on the Hornets’ docket would make it hard for them to fully engage in a total rebuild for another year or two, even if they did trade Walker.

Draft day came and went with little drama as Kemba Walker remains a Hornet for now. The Hornets selected the talented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) with pick No. 11 but traded his rights to the Clippers in exchange for the 12th pick and selected Miles Bridges. This could be the complementary piece that the Hornets needed for Walker.

The second round netted the Hornets Devonte’ Graham (pick No. 34 via trade with the Atlanta Hawks), Hamidou Diallo (pick 45 from the Dwight Howard trade with the Nets) and Arnoldas Kulboka (55), though Diallo was eventually dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So, how do these pieces fit together with the rest of the team right now? Let’s examine each pick!