Three of the Charlotte Hornets’ Best Offseason Decisions

The Charlotte Hornets have undergone a facelift over the past year.

Michael Jordan is no longer the owner, Mitch Kupchak is no longer the lead executive, and Steve Clifford is no longer the head coach. In their place are owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, executive vice president Jeff Peterson, and head coach Charles Lee.

However, a shakeup at the top isn’t the only change that the Hornets have made, with 2023 No. 2 pick Brandon Miller vying to be the face of the franchise. For the past four seasons, that title has belonged to 2021 No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball.

However, due to Ball’s immaturity and lack of durability, the door has opened for Miller to be the team’s leader. Though this doesn’t mean Ball will be moved, it’s another oscillation that will be monitored.

In accelerating their franchise transformation, the Hornets should make several moves this offseason that will help them build a winning culture.

The Hornets have spent years trying to cement their center rotation, cycling through a number of big men in their desire to find a starter. Recognizing this, Charlotte may consider drafting UConn’s Donovan Clingan. However, due to Mark Williams’ play last season, they should decide against it.

Though his season was cut short due to a back injury, he averaged 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.7 minutes per game in 2023-24. A fluid athlete at 7-foot-0 and 241 pounds, the Duke product deserves one more shot at the starting gig. After all, he was only drafted two years ago, the Hornets selecting him with the 15th overall pick.

So, rather than adding Clingan, the Hornets should draft a replacement for free agent Miles Bridges.

As troubled as he is talented, Bridges’ off-court behavior has been unbecoming of a professional. His wrongdoings were so abhorrent he was forced to sit out the entire 2022-23 season. Although he’s still relatively young and can still grow from those mistakes, he needs a change of scenery and a different circle of associates.

Meanwhile, the Hornets need to create a winning culture. This doesn’t mean they can’t add players with colorful or offbeat personalities. They don’t have to have 15 choir boys. They just need 15 men of high character. Bridges has yet to prove he can be that and as he’s entering free agency this offseason, the only way he’ll continue to be the Hornets’ problem is if they allow him to be.

Though G-League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis is somewhat unpolished, he’s unproblematic off the court. He’s also among the most gifted players in the class, possessing a diversified skillset at 6-foot-10 and 197 pounds.

A great run-and-jump athlete, Buzelis averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game in 2023-24. Offensively, he’s a three-level scorer who will be a great lob receiver in Charlotte. Defensively, his shot-blocking instincts will be a valuable tool for the Hornets. In sum, he’ll play a lot like Bridges.

As Buzelis only shot 26.1 percent from 3, his outside jumper is the swing skill that’ll determine his ultimate ceiling. As he’s likely to be the third option at best in Charlotte, his off-ball prowess is even more important. Buzelis’s advanced stats are also somewhat concerning, as he had a 97.3 offensive rating, a 117.4 defensive rating, and a 0.89 assist-to-turnover ratio.

With that said, Buzelis clearly needs to sharpen his game by becoming a more reliable three-point threat and having better awareness. But at 18 years old, there’s a lot of time for him to get better.

As there weren’t any lottery-level 3-and-D wings available when the Hornets were sifting through draft prospects, they’d have to find that player through another medium. As they’re able to free up to $32.6 million in cap space this offseason and have a $12.9 million non-taxpayers mid-level exception, free agency would be the best way to add a starting shooting guard.

This presents the Hornets with two primary options. The first is to go after Denver Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who may decline his 2024-25 player option in hopes of landing a larger contract this offseason. The second is to sign Orlando Magic free agent Gary Harris.

Despite the allure of adding a two-time NBA champion in Caldwell-Pope, the Hornets should sign Harris.

For one, as Charlotte isn’t a contending team, a player like Caldwell-Pope would be a bit out of place. Secondly, he’ll demand a much larger salary than Harris due to his impact on championship-caliber teams. Lastly, though Caldwell-Pope is the superior player, Harris may only be a notch below him.

Over the past five seasons, Caldwell-Pope has averaged 10.7 points and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.3 percent from 3. In that same time, Harris has averaged 9.4 points and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 37.5 percent from 3.

Both Caldwell-Pope and Harris are athletic, 6-foot-4, a tad over 200 pounds, and able to guard multiple positions. Caldwell-Pope is far more durable. But Harris just might give the Hornets more bang for their buck. They can likely sign the 29-year-old with their MLE.

There aren’t any players that the Hornets have to trade or trade for after the aforementioned offseason moves. Charlotte will have a full starting lineup, with Buzelis, Harris, and Williams led by Ball and Miller. Tre Mann, Grant Williams, and Nick Richards are more or less dependable second-unit players. Adding a sixth man could be valuable though, as it’s the primary archetype the Hornets will be missing.

By trading Aleksej Pokusevski and two second-round picks to Portland Trail Blazers for Malcolm Brogdon, they should be able to get one. The 2023 Sixth Man of the Year, Brogdon’s reputation took a hit last offseason when rumors about an undisclosed medical issue surfaced. As a result, there seems to be hesitance to add or rely on Brogdon.

However, in 2023-24, Brogdon continued to have a solid two-way impact. The strong and savvy combo guard averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 0.7 steals per game, shooting above 40 percent from 3 for the fourth time in his career.

With the Hornets, his ability to help Charlotte stay in games when Ball is getting a breather will be beneficial. Not only does it increase their chances of winning, it’ll prevent Lee from feeling like he has to cut Ball’s breaks short. This should keep him fresher in the game and potentially help him play more games.

Notably, Brogdon played under Lee in 2018-19 while they were with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks went 60-22 that season –their first time winning 60 games since 1980-1981 –and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

That isn’t to say the Hornets will win 60 games just because Brogdon and Lee are in Charlotte. However, the first-time head coach likely remembers that season well, increasing the likelihood of the Hornets wanting to add Brogdon.

Lastly, though his age (31) placed him outside their timeline, Charlotte could use an adult in the room. Put another way, they need a mature leader to help change the locker room culture. Brogdon provides that.