Heading into the offseason, the Charlotte Hornets found themselves with money to spend and players to draft in the pursuit of taking a step forward back towards playoff relevancy.
Sure, the team was coming off of a particularly bad season, winning the fewest games in a single season ever under their current moniker in no small part due to the absence of LaMelo Ball, making Charlotte a less-than-desirable destination for free agents. But when you consider the Hornets still had a few players opposing teams might fancy and an ability to take money back in exchange for future assets, they still could have done some damage in a depressed marketplace, as in the rebuilding parlance set forth by Sam Hinkie and mastered by Sam Presti in OKC, their situation was as good as gold.
And yet, other than landing potential starting shooting guard Josh Green, already-released point guard Reggie Jackson, and two seconds from the Mavericks/Nuggets, the Hornets had a relatively quiet offseason, with their most prominent trade chips, Grant Williams and Nick Richards, sticking around despite drawing interest from around the association.
Now granted, just because the Hornets haven't traded either player yet doesn't mean they won't, as the Pelicans and Knicks have both been linked to Richards and Bobby Marks tabbed Williams as an ideal 76ers trade target, but wouldn't both trades have been easier to pull off ahead of the draft when cap space teams like Philadelphia were able to take a player into cap space before they filled out their roster?
Sure, drafting Tidjane Salaun and KJ Simpson should help the team out in the future but having another bite or two at the apple in 2024, or having additional picks in their war chest down the line could have helped to make other moves, be that in sliding around the board on draft night or even in acquiring a player like Walker Kessler, who the front office may view as a better fit next to ball Ball long-term than Richardson.
In 2024-25, the Hornets will probably be better than they were in 2023-24 should Ball be back at full strength, but how much better is hard to really quantify, as, at best, they improved on the margins instead of with a legit difference-maker via the draft or free agency. Even if that is by design, as there will be takers for Williams, Richardson, and maybe even Green in February when all of the recently signed free agents can be traded, and the contending team could be willing to part with a few more assets to land “their guy” ahead of the play-in tournament, right now, the offseason feels somewhat underwhelming.
Grant Williams wasn't surprised to be traded to the Hornets
Sitting down with Forbes to discuss going from being a playoff stalwart to having an early offseason after being acquired by the Hornets at the trade deadline, Williams revealed what it was like to call it a summer so early and how he's using his extra free time to get better at his craft.
“It's been weird. Let's just say that. It's been cool because it's the first time you have a chance to rest. I feel like over the past four years, it's been go, go, go,” Williams told Forbes.
“This is my first year where I could say now I'm prepared, and I can get a full summer of work where I can truly get better and improve on my game, and I'm excited for the time that I can use. At the same time, you miss playing in the playoffs; you miss playing in the physicality that's being shown in the games. It's been really fun to watch.”
Asked if he was surprised to be traded to the Hornets after being a controversial figure in Dallas, Williams noted that he wasn't, as Charlotte showed interest in his services during the offseason.
“I wasn't surprised,” says Williams of the trade. “I think that there was an opportunity for both teams to get a guy they want. All of us were tied to one another throughout the offseason. It's pretty fun to say that we've kind of gone to our locations, and technically me, and PJ both went home. I think it's a good opportunity to notice those guys.”
To Williams' credit, he is correct in his assertion; the Hornets did inquire about a sign-and-trade for his services last summer, with the Mavericks ultimately winning out in negotiations to the tune of a four-year, $53 million contract. Had he signed with the Hornets and put up the same stat line, who knows, maybe a team in need of a stretch four with a switchable defensive game and a big personality would have acquired him last spring via trade, making this whole conversation moot. But hey, with three years left on his contract, it's safe to say Williams will remain a fixture of trade talks well into the future, so fans will have to see how everything shakes out.
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