There are a lot of questions surrounding the Charlotte Hornets, especially after they lost All-Star point guard Kemba Walker in free agency. General manager Mitch Kupchak hasn't made a significant move aside from acquiring Terry Rozier from the Boston Celtics, and that should worry a lot of the team's fans.
The truth is, no matter how hard they convince the media, or even themselves, that Rozier is the real deal, the fact is he's not. He is a decent player, but not in the same breath as Kemba, and he will never be.
What should the Hornets do? They should stop fooling themselves and embrace the rebuild. There is no other way.
Tank
The first thing a rebuilding team does is tank. It's an ugly way to jump-start the process, but as previously mentioned, the Hornets do not have a choice. Even if they try to compete next season, it's hard to see them winning more than 30 games with the current roster they have. So why not sacrifice the season for the sake of a potential top pick next year?
Given the results of the draft this year, having the worst record does not guarantee the Hornets the first overall pick, but it's a risk they should take. It's highly possible for them to land one of the top three picks if they have a losing season.
From there, they can build around whomever they get.
Trade their expiring contracts
The Hornets have three players who are set to become free agents at the end of next season: Bismack Biyombo, Marvin Williams, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The team can do what the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder did; both teams traded their top players and got A TON of picks in return.
Biyombo, Williams, and Kidd-Gilchrist aren't even close to the level of Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, but if Charlotte can get a first-round pick for each player, that will already be considered a win. Of course, finding a team that will be willing to absorb the contracts of those three will be difficult, but it's not impossible. The Hornets should start making calls for them now and see what happens until the trade deadline.
Focus on the young guys
The Hornets have Malik Monk, the 11th overall pick from 2017; Miles Bridges, the 12th pick from last year, and PJ Washington, the 12th pick this year. It's time for them to see what those guys are really made of. It would be a good move for Charlotte to give them a bigger role next season. Put them in a position where the pressure is on them to carry the team. Again, stop the illusion with Rozier. If he doesn't show the potential they're expecting from him in the first 10 games, give the keys of the franchise to the youngsters.
Monk, Bridges, and Washington have the potential to be great; all they need is enough motivation and proper development. The Hornets were able to find a gem when they drafted Kemba eight years ago. Maybe their next star is one of these three.
***
The Hornets are one of five NBA teams with an especially small market, but that is not an excuse for them to not be successful. If they can make the right decisions, they might be back in playoff contention sooner than they expected.
It's going to be a slow, grueling process, and the future will always be uncertain.
Then again, what choice do they have?
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