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The Charlotte Hornets are heading into the offseason looking to improve their roster for the 2021-22 season via NBA trades and a free agent signing or two. They have more than a few needs that they will have to address in the offseason.
Perhaps their most glaring need is at the center position where the Charlotte Hornets were overmatched by their opponents on a regular basis. They could acquire one through free agency, but there are centers that they are looking at who they can acquire only through a trade.
The Charlotte Hornets were tied for 22nd in the league in scoring during the 2020-21 regular season. They averaged just 109.5 points a night and will need to add scoring from just about every position available.
After identifying their needs, Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak will have to execute a couple of trades that will help them address these needs or else end up missing the playoffs once again. Who should they pursue in trades this summer?
With LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward as their leaders, the future looks bright for the Charlotte Hornets but it could be brighter with an addition or two.
Here are 3 players that the Charlotte Hornets should pursue:
3. Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harrell may lack the defensive capabilities of traditional centers but he’s a workhorse under the basket with a soft touch from 10-to-15 feet away. The LA Lakers big man is relentless on the offensive end.
This past season, Harrell averaged 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds a game in only 22.9 minutes of action in a purple and gold uniform.
He also shot 62.2 percent from the field, so the Hornets are getting a player who rarely takes ill-advised shots. With the playing time that he will receive from the Charlotte Hornets, Harrell should average around 18 points and 9 rebounds a game for them.
The Lakers are interested in more perimeter scoring and the Charlotte Hornets can give them that through a sign-and-trade deal that includes either Devonte Graham or Malik Monk.
Convincing Harrell to opt-in for the final year of his contract may be the tricky part, but the fact that the Hornets can guarantee him more playing time than most teams would be enough to get him to agree to a trade to Charlotte.
2. James Wiseman
James Wiseman could be the center of the future for the Charlotte Hornets.
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly in win-now mode and are supposedly dangling assets to acquire a player or two to help them contend for a championship from next season onwards.
Wiseman may not be ready for the pressures of playoff basketball, making him a player who they have very little patience with to develop into a major contributor in the postseason.
The Charlotte Hornets should be the perfect team for Wiseman who can take his time growing into the player that he could be in an environment where he’s surrounded by players closer to his age. In his rookie season, the 20-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.
In exchange, the Warriors get P.J. Washington and Terry Rozier aside from a second-round pick, while the Charlotte Hornets also receive Kelly Oubre Jr. in a sign-and-trade to make the numbers work.
Golden State gets a player who has experienced playoff basketball aside from a young player who has scored 20 or more points, including a career-high 42, in 11 of his 61 games in 2020-21.
1. Kristaps Porzingis
To shore up the Charlotte Hornets' center position, one player that they seem to be enamored with is Kristaps Porzingis, whose style of play doesn’t fit well with Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
Their unusual pairing this past season, coupled with Porzingis’ injury woes, may have the Mavs brass rethinking their strategy for the next campaign.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets are salivating at the thought of acquiring a player who was once an All-Star for the Eastern Conference. If they can nab him from the Mavericks, Porzingis would be a huge upgrade at the center position and he could be the missing piece that propels the Hornets to the playoffs.
In 43 games during the regular season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
Who do the Charlotte Hornets give up? To make the salaries work, this will have to be a multi-player deal. Aside from Porzingis, the Hornets also receive Josh Richardson, while the Mavericks receive Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington and Malik Monk in a sign-and-trade.
The trio of players adds to the Mavs’ depth and versatility, and players who will complement Doncic much better.
Also Read: 3 things Milwaukee Bucks need to do to clinch title against Phoenix Suns in Game 6 | 2021 NBA Finals
