The Charlotte Hornets haven't had a splashy offseason by any means. But that doesn't mean it hasn't been a busy one. They made a change at head coach, drafted French forward Tidjane Salaun with the eighth overall pick and re-signed Miles Bridges to a three-year $25 million deal.
But the best move the Hornets made during 2024 NBA free agency was acquiring Josh Green in a trade via the Dallas Mavericks.
Josh Green brings defensive improvement to Hornets
One area Josh Green will immediately help Charlotte is on the defensive end of the floor. The Hornets could certainly use a jolt in that department, as they finished 29th in defensive rating during the regular season, via NBA.com. The only team that was worse was the Utah Jazz, who quit trying to win games after the trade deadline.
Green is not the second coming of Scottie Pippen, but he will give them a lift. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, he is more than quick and strong enough to take on the opposing team's best guard. He should immediately become the Hornets' best option when it comes to defending All-Stars like Jalen Brunson.
Green is not only a solid on-ball defender but he is also very active and alert off the ball. Those plays don't always show up on the box score, but they do impact winning. There's a reason why the Mavericks were a little better with Green on the floor alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving than they were in total during the regular season.
What makes this move even better for the Hornets is that they didn't have to give up anything to get Green. Dallas had to shed money to help facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors to bring in Klay Thompson. That meant moving Green to a team with cap space. The Hornets were one of those teams and took him on to help that deal go through.
It never hurts to get a solid rotation player on the cheap. Getting one that will help improve their defense makes all the sense in the world for Charlotte.
Green possesses offensive skills to work with
The reason Dallas made the defense for offense shift with Green and Thompson was because of Green's shooting. He has improved vastly as a shooter from distance throughout his career. He shot 38.5% from three last season and 40.2% the year before that. But it was on low volume. Green has shot roughly three threes per game in that span.
That shouldn't be a huge issue for the Hornets in the meantime. They are more focused on becoming a competitive team, which comes first through defensive improvement. But that isn't to say that Green can't become useful on that end of the floor. He is a really smart cutter who can finish over the top or make some slick passes on the move to open teammates.
Green had the benefit of playing next to one of the best passers in the league in Doncic, but the same holds true with his new teammate LaMelo Ball. Ball can help get Green the same corner threes he's been solid at hitting but also can maximize his ability as a cutter.
Certainly, Green would've preferred to stay in Dallas and compete with the Mavericks. But his landing spot with Charlotte is a good one. He should get plenty of playing time and will help a team loaded with young talent to compete. And they didn't give up anything to get a guy who is still only 23 years old.
Acquiring Green was definitely the best move the Hornets have made during 2024 NBA free agency.
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