DRAFT NIGHT UPDATE: Hornets may need to join the trade-up movement to gain momentum on roster
With the free agency date of June 30th looming over the Charlotte Hornets' front office, the team needs to find a diamond in the rough in tonight's draft to meet some significant needs in their lineup as well as provide a cushion in the event Kemba Walker departs.
That may just be the direction to provide the Hornets with the answer to a more successful season. The second half of the 2018-19 schedule saw a youth revival of sort when head coach James Borrego infused his starting lineup with his rosters' youngest players. Those changes showed levels of improvement for the team.
The twelfth pick has provided some memorable contributors for Charlotte in the past including Muggsy Bogues who became an NBA icon.
The Prospects for the 12th pick:
- Gonzaga, Junior, Rui Hachimura
- Kentucky, Forward, PJ Washington
There is hope there as the draft can be erratic and leave something on the table by the time the Hornets pick rolls around. The latest, reported by ESPN, revealed that the Atlanta Hawks acquired the fourth pick from the New Orleans Pelicans to target Virginia guard De'Andre Hunter to bolster their defensive efforts on the court.
But the best option may be for the Hornets to join the trade-up movement that has already begun. That however, will likely require a bundle of cash that the Hornets have not been known to shell out.
We'll see if Mitch Kupchak and his staff can pull off something crafty before the night is over.
The NBA Draft begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
