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After an entertaining season in which the Charlotte Hornets narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, there is reason for optimism around the franchise. They have a solid young core, including Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball, upon which to build on.
That means the Charlotte Hornets front office will be extremely busy in the offseason. The Hornets will be looking to build on their success this year and make sure of a postseason appearance in the 2021-22 campaign.
Currently, Cody Zeller, Devonte' Graham, Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo are all due to become free agents. If the franchise allows some, if not all, of these players to walk in the summer, they will have a considerable amount of cap space to use in the free agency market.
5 free agents who would match the Charlotte Hornets' needs going into the 2021-22 NBA season
With their cap space, the Charlotte Hornets can target key areas that they have struggled with this season despite their success. In this article, we will examine five free agency options that can help the Eastern Conference side breach the gap between their early end-of-season and a playoff run.
#1 Richaun Holmes
There's no denying that the most glaring hole in the current Charlotte Hornets team is at center. They have overpaid to have Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo on their books for the last three seasons together. Both big men become free agents in the summer and it wouldn't be surprising to see the organization part ways with them to bring in a more effective star at the five.
Richaun Holmes fits that billing. He is available as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Holmes will have several suitors around the league and could form a valuable partnership for LaMelo Ball's circus passes.
Holmes is developing with each passing season into a serious offensive threat at center. He averaged 14.2 points, shooting at 63% from the field this season and grabbed 8.3 rebounds. He has the ability to compete physically in the post and is an adept pick-and-roll partner potentially for the Charlotte Hornets' starlet, Ball. The 27-year-old is an effective shot blocker and completed tost games of any of his previous seasons in the NBA this year with 61 appearances.
#2 Josh Hart
The New Orleans Pelicans are expected to be extremely busy this offseason after their disappointing campaign. Interest for Lonzo Ball will be wide-ranging, which could leave the door open for the likes of the Charlotte Hornets to swoop in for versatile role player Josh Hart.
Hart can play either at shooting guard or at small forward and has the kind of swashbuckling mentality any team would want. He is a fearsome rebounder, grabbing a career-high eight boards this term, despite being only 6"5'. He also hit personal best numbers from mid-range and from the free-throw line also this year on his way to averaging 9.2 points per game.
The Charlotte Hornets could utilize him as a wing scorer who can also grab rebounds in support of a new center.
#3 Mitchell Robinson
Another center the Charlotte Hornets may look at in the free agency window is the New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson. The 23-year-old arguably comes with the greatest upside of any big man available in the offseason and would come cheaper than Holmes.
Injury curtailed Robinson's season. But in the 31 games he did play, he averaged 8.3 points and 8.1 rebounds. He had a winning share of 3.4 due to his effectiveness on both ends of the floor. He is a versatile defender who has averaged 2.1 blocks per season throughout his career and is an efficient scorer in the paint.
Where the Charlotte Hornets may be reluctant to bring in Robinson is in the fact that he has a shaky injury history. He hasn't completed a full season since entering the league three years ago. With it being a particular point of necessity for the Hornets in the short-term, they may choose to go with somebody more reliable than taking a chance.
#4 Kendrick Nunn
One player who may go under the radar in this year's free agency class and who the Charlotte Hornets could target is the Miami Heat's Kendrick Nunn. Miami has received incredible value from the second-year guard, who averaged 15 points and three assists in his time spent in Florida. It is easy to forget he finished as the runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2020 and then went on to help the Heat reach the NBA Finals.
Since he is now in a position to demand a contract in the range of $15m, the Miami Heat theoretically can't afford Nunn. They are looking to create ample cap space to bring in another superstar. Furthermore, it is more likely they will want to keep fellow restricted free agent Duncan Robinson.
Nunn is a capable combo-guard with playoff experience. In the postseason this year, the Heat were better with him on the court than when he was off. He averaged a shooting split of 48.5/38.1/93.3 and has plenty of room for development. He could do so as either a starting guard alongside Ball or coming off the Charlotte Hornets bench.
#5 Lauri Markkanen
Along with their needs in the paint, the Charlotte Hornets require additional wing scoring. Forwards Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington both shot the ball effectively from downtown, however the franchise may part ways with either Devonte' Graham or Malik Monk, or both. This would considerably damage their offensive output, which is where Markkanen comes in.
The seven-foot power forward could address both the Charlotte Hornets need for shooting efficiency and for floor spacing. He is limited on defense, however, he is a prolific scorer from deep with a career-average of 36% from three. His highest rate came this year when he scored over 40% of all attempts beyond the arc.
Markkanen was also extremely efficient with his time on the floor, racking up 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. The Finn could be moved on by the Chicago Bulls in the restricted free agency since they already have the athleticism and height of Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine. Furthermore, he lost his starting berth toward the end of the season as the Bulls looked to make a playoff push, signifying their potential desire to keep his services.
Guess the Lakers players!
