The Charlotte Hornets had three chances in the 2019 NBA Draft to give Kemba Walker a reason to stay. How did they grade out on all their selections?
For the third straight season, the Charlotte Hornets failed to make the playoffs and landed yet again in the draft lottery. For the third straight year, the Hornets’ pick landed between No. 10 and 14 as well.
There were many needs for the team going into the 2019 NBA Draft. They lack a true defensive presence under the rim and they still seem to be searching for a complementary scorer for Kemba Walker.
Speaking of Walker, there was the need to make good draft choices so he could see that the organization was committed to still building around him if he decides to stay, since the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks seem to be interested in his services and rumors have even tied him to the New York Knicks.
General manager Mitch Kupchak doesn’t have a lot of cap flexibility this year either, with Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bizmack Biyombo all accepting their player options. Kupchak was trying to trade up or even back in the first round, but at the end of the night, he couldn’t find a deal he liked.
Takeaways from quick press conference with Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak, in thread form:
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) June 21, 2019
1. Hornets definitely were interested in trading around, but weren't willing to "give away that much of your future."
In the end, the Hornets added three players to their roster — all forwards with a nearly identical M.O. Each pick seems to have its question marks for the Hornets, so let’s hand out some grades for each one.