Trading up for Devonte’ Graham
The Charlotte Hornets made use of their stockpile of second round draft picks to move into the early part of the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. They struck a deal with the Atlanta Hawks by trading them 2019 and 2023 second round picks for Devonte’ Graham.
Graham comes to the Hornets with no pressure at all. They still have Kemba Walker as their main point guard and even signed Tony Parker to provide an experienced player behind Walker. Graham should eat up backup minutes as well, but won’t be thrust into the spotlight.
Graham saw measurable jumps in his points, rebounds and assists per game in each of his four seasons while playing at Kansas, so he may take a year or two to adjust to the rigors of the NBA.
| Tota | Shoo | Shoo | Shoo | Per | Per | Per | Per | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | G | FG% | 3P% | FT% | MP | PTS | TRB | AST |
| 2014-15 | 19 | 29 | .393 | .425 | .724 | 17.8 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| 2015-16 | 20 | 38 | .460 | .441 | .744 | 32.6 | 11.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| 2016-17 | 21 | 36 | .428 | .388 | .793 | 35.3 | 13.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
| 2017-18 | 22 | 39 | .400 | .406 | .827 | 37.8 | 17.3 | 4.0 | 7.2 |
| Career | 142 | .422 | .409 | .787 | 31.7 | 12.3 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/15/2018.
Graham shot 42.2 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent in 3-pointers throughout his college career. He also posted 18.4 win shares over his career, which ranks ninth out of 26 players with at least 16 win shares from 2014-15 to 2017-18 in the NCAA.
Graham only played in three Summer League games before suffering a knee injury, but still managed 10 points and six assists per game. We saw some of his potential, especially in passing the ball.
It was recently reported that Graham won’t need any surgery for his injury and has even started practicing again. If he’s able come back full strength, he could be a great spark plug for the second unit throughout the season. The Hornets didn’t have to give up much to secure Graham, so even if he has a limited backup role for a couple seasons, the Hornets come out on top.
Grade: C+