The Charlotte Hornets are surely feeling stung after Kenny Atkinson decided to bail on becoming their head coach. Still, they are in a very good place heading further into the 2022 NBA offseason.

With two top-15 picks in the 2022 NBA Draft and a roster of young players headlined by Al-Star LaMelo Ball, they are in a solid position. However, losing in an embarrassing fashion in the play-in tournament signifies that they need to make some real tweaks to the roster.

The Hornets have plenty of players on rookie deals that can grow into solid players. They may be better used as trade bait but also probably won't yield anything too interesting on their own. Other players on bigger deals like Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. are important. Even though key players like Ball and Miles Bridges have contract extensions to prepare for, trading their key vets won't be a necessity.

To get their offseason going, the Hornets should trade these two players. Their usefulness to the team has diminished past the point of return.

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2 players Hornets must trade in 2022 NBA offseason

2. Mason Plumlee

The Hornets starting Mason Plumlee was a clear sign that they needed an upgrade at the center spot. They failed to do so with the Montrezl Harrell trade. The Hornets are better off just moving from the 32-year-old Plumlee and his $8 million salary.

As a backup, Plumlee can be solid. His 6.5 points per game in 24.6 minutes from last season may not show it but he can finish shots inside at a respectable clip and pass well. The reason Charlotte should still move on from him is the more intriguing option looming as a backup: Kai Jones. The Hornets traded for his draft rights last season and should see what they have in him.

Even if Jones' game still needs to be smoothed out around the edges, his athleticism alone will make him more useful than Plumlee. Jones is one of those players who can catch lobs wherever they go. He could prove to be a more versatile player than Plumlee right away and already have a third-string option in Nick Richards.

The Hornets could choose to keep Plumlee but will have to live with the fact that he probably won't be useful in their most important games. Thus, making a move in the NBA offseason is the best course of action.

1. Gordon Hayward

Once Hayward went down with an ankle sprain in February that forced him to miss all but one game for the rest of the season, it became clear that Charlotte should move on from him.

For the second season in a row, Hayward has played less than 50 games. This season, though, his production was not near All-Star level. He averaged 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Although he also played fewer minutes, those numbers reflect that he is becoming less productive. Those numbers are solid but the exorbitant price for that level of production is holding them back.

Although a bounceback year is possible, the Hornets can't tie their hopes to his health anymore. It has failed them twice in a row, so the blame is now on them. As the 32-year-old gets older and more banged up, his value will only sink. Even if it is just to move the $61 million they owe him over the next two seasons, the Hornets should trade Hayward.

Simply put, the Hornets' urgency to win is too big for them to wait around to see if Hayward is healthy enough to play when their season is on the line.