Charlotte Hornets: 3 options with the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft
By Chip Murphy
The Charlotte Hornets were the biggest winners during the NBA draft lottery. Even during a weak draft, it’s a big deal for them to have a top-three pick.
The last time the Charlotte Hornets picked in the top five in the NBA Draft was 2013. In case you don’t remember, that’s the Anthony Bennett draft, and it’s generally considered one of the worst of all time.
Charlotte took Indiana’s Cody Zeller — Michael Jordan loves his blue blood athletes — and all things considered, it could’ve been worse. They could’ve “won” that lottery and ended up with Bennett.
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It seems like history is repeating itself in 2020. The Hornets hadn’t moved up in the draft in 21 years, but they were big winners on lottery night this year. Unfortunately, it happened in a year without a projected franchise player.
But despite a perceived weak draft, this is huge for the franchise. The Hornets are slated to pick third and will still have plenty of young talent to choose from. That’s something that they sorely lack in. Unfortunately, the Hornets lack talent in general.
In The Athletic’s recent rankings (paywall) of the top 125 players in the NBA, the Hornets only had one player listed — Devonte’ Graham. The Knicks were the only other franchise with one player.
The Hornets have had big misses in the draft during Jordan’s tenure as an owner. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Frank Kaminsky are no longer with the team, but Charlotte hit big last season with P.J. Washington, Jalen McDaniels, and the Martin twins. They’re looking to build off that momentum during a unique draft year.
The Hornets have two picks in the second round (32 and 56), but we’re focusing on their first-round pick. These are three options for the Hornets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.