Charlotte Hornets: 2018 NBA Draft grades

Overall

The day before the draft, the Charlotte Hornets only had the 11th and 55th overall picks of the NBA Draft. Their first draft trade ended up turning Dwight Howard into the 45th pick, which was traded to the Thunder on draft day and now they may have nothing to show for it outside of Timofey Mozgov and ducking the luxury tax.

Their second trade of the draft came with the Clippers, netting the top player of their draft board — Miles Bridges — and two future second round picks. They turned those second round picks into the 34th overall pick from the Hawks and selected Devonte’ Graham.

Miles Bridges will be an instant contributor and a playmaker that can help Kemba Walker shoulder the load for the Hornets. Graham could end up being a suitable 2-guard and immediately give the Hornets depth in the backcourt — or even pave the way out the door for Walker at the 1.

The big unknown is how the stash of Arnoldas Kulboka will turn out. If he doesn’t pan out, could Charlotte have selected another wing or guard that could have developed quicker? The Hornets just need an infusion of talent and stashing a player overseas could end up hurting more than helping the franchise.

To me, this draft was a little puzzling. Bridges is a top-notch acquisition, so no problems there. But was Graham the best pick available when the Hornets traded back into the second round? There were some quality guards or wings still available, like Khyri Thomas, that could have cracked the starting lineup for the Hornets. Throw in the draft-and-stash Kulboka and many of the roster questions still weren’t answered for the Hornets. Maybe they will be when free agency opens up, but I’m not too sold on this draft right now.

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Final Grade: B-