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The Charlotte Hornets were a busy team on 2021 NBA Draft night. They had three picks (11, 56 and 57) heading into the draft.
The Hornets have the longest active playoff drought in the Eastern Conference. They haven't made a postseason trip in the last five years. They came very close to reaching the playoffs last season. However, injuries to key players like LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward derailed their campaign.
The Charlotte Hornets have an exciting squad at their disposal. It could be said that they are a few pieces away from turning into playoff contenders for next season.
They made key acquisitions during the 2021 NBA Draft and were also involved in trade deals during the day, through which they were able to move up the draft and acquire four picks instead of three.
On that note, we list the full list of prospects that the Charlotte Hornets have picked in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Listing the four players Charlotte Hornets selected in the 2021 NBA Draft
#1 Pick No. 11 - James Bouknight (Connecticut)
James Bouknight was widely expected to be a top 10 pick, but much to everyone's surprise, that did not end up being the case. The Charlotte Hornets didn't let the opportunity slip to sign a player of Bouknight's caliber. With their first and 11th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, they made a smart decision by selecting the shooting guard.
Malik Monk and Devonte Graham are both hitting free agency this offseason as restricted free agents. Keeping that in mind, if the Charlotte Hornets cannot match offer sheets by other teams for the two guards, Bouknight's acquisition will come in handy.
James Bouknight is known to be a terrific ball-handler and scorer who can create his own shots from all three levels. His wide array of ball-handling skills makes it tough for defenders to guard him. The 6'5 guard averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last season with UConn in College.
The Charlotte Hornets currently bolster a starting backcourt that includes LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Keeping that in mind, Bouknight will likely be coming off the bench as the sixth man to provide some scoring punch. His fit with Ball would be interesting to watch when the two players are on the floor together.
Ball was solid with his playmaking and could help Bouknight find easy looks when the two take to the court for the Charlotte Hornets next season.
#2 Pick No. 19 - Kai Jones (Texas)
The Charlotte Hornets traded a future first-round pick to acquire the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft from the New York Knicks. Both their bigs from last season - Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo - are hitting free agency. Acquiring centers was one of their biggest off-season needs because of that.
They were ideally planning to pick Kai Jones with the 11th pick, but switched their plans when James Bouknight became available. Kai Jones fills an important spot for the Charlotte Hornets. The 6'11 big has a lot of potential but will take time to reach his ceiling.
Jones is a floor-spacing center, an enticing quality in the modern-day NBA. He has a tremendous amount of athleticism as well and can defend on the perimeter. These traits allow him to be a lethal weapon to have on both ends of the floor. Kai Jones averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season with Texas. He shot 58% from the floor, including 38% from the three-point line.
#3 Pick No. 37 - JT Thor (Auburn)
The Charlotte Hornets acquired the No. 37 pick through a trade deal in which they acquired Mason Plumlee from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for the No. 57 pick. The Hornets selected JT Thor with the 37th pick. Thor is one of the youngest prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft. He will turn 19 next month.
The 6'10" forward is an excellent defensive stopper because of his size. He still has a lot of improvements to make in his game, though, and could be given more time to develop, limiting his role on the squad for the upcoming season at least.
He averaged 9.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in the last season when he played for Auburn.
#4 Pick No. 56 - Scottie Lewis (Florida)
Scottie Lewis was the last pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for the Charlotte Hornets. They selected him with their No. 56 pick. Lewis is a 6'5" wing who is a solid player on the defensive end. His offensive game is very shaky, though, especially his shooting. Lewis is also likely to be given more time to develop like JT Thor.
He is still young (21 years) and may need a few years to show that he can be relied upon in rotations. Lewis averaged 7.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and a block per game last season when he played for Florida.
Guess the Lakers players!
