The NBA offseason is the end of the calm before the transaction storm. This includes the Charlotte Hornets.
They were able to add promising young players to a core acquired via the NBA Draft. Charlotte added some veterans who can contribute, impacting outcomes immediately. However, the Hornets did miss on luring superstars to the small market-pond.
Here is our grades for the Hornets' offseason so far.
Hornets Offseason Grades
Free Agent Acquisitions: C
Unless there's talented players in place who superstars want to come play with, it's difficult to bring them to such a small market. The Hornets missed out on some big names in the market but managed to sign productive veterans in Kelly Oubre and Ish Smith. Smith is a journeyman point guard with some playoff experience and Oubre is looking to find a home after an up and down season at Golden State. Not exactly guys who will win the Hornets a championship, but they will be important for a playoff run.
Unfortunately, the Hornets missed out on some of the bigger names they were linked to. Stars like Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan, who were both scooped up by the Chicago Bulls. Sure, Charlotte will make do with what they got, but not being able to sign a bigger name can determine if they are able to win a playoff series.
Anyway, Smith and Oubre are good vets, but the Hornets underachieved in free agency.
NBA Draft Moves: B
The Hornets didn't have a top-three pick, but they still managed to fill out their roster for the 2021-22 NBA season. The Hornets kicked off their night by drafting shooting-guard James Bouknight with the 11th overall pick. He averaged just under 19 points at UConn and could develop into a lethal scoring threat over time in the NBA.
Along with Bouknight, Kai Jones was selected 19th by the New York Knicks then traded to Charlotte. The athletic big man has a nice highlight reel worth of dunks from Summer League action. Jones seems like a player who can split time between the G-League and the NBA, but is sure to have an impact whenever he plays. He fits the run and gun scheme that the Hornets run and could be fun to watch him throw down ridiculous jams alongside Miles Bridges.
They snagged JT Thor and Scottie Lewis in the second round. Two more guys who showed some promise in the summer league. The Hornets have done a good job in the past few years by adding guys like Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, and of course the reigning Rookie of the Year, LaMelo Ball.
It seems like they are continuing that trend. They also constructed a trade that landed them Mason Plumlee, who will likely be their starting center for this upcoming season. Plumlee is another veteran with some playoff experience that can help this young team in the short and long run.
Keeping Terry Rozier: B+
This was probably the most important move for the Hornets over this offseason. Terry Rozier put up career highs across the board for the Hornets this past season, earning the four-year, $97 million extension. Rozier has been a bright spot for this team the past two seasons with his scoring and leadership abilities. Getting this opportunity in Charlotte allowed for his game to grow and become the number one scoring option for Charlotte.
Overall, the Hornets had a decent offseason.
All these offseason moves have landed the Hornets a grade of a B. Pretty solid all decisions all-around, but it could have been better. It. is nice to see them trending in the right direction though and they could be a play-off team with this sort of roster.
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