The Charlotte Hornets have made some pretty big moves this NBA offseason that have set them up for a lot of success down the line. The acquisitions of Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball (via the NBA Draft) have made the Hornets a team to watch in the Eastern Conference as they are not just set up for future success, but they are set up for success now.
This team has the potential to be a low-seed playoff team this year and while they are still a couple of years away from being contenders, gaining playoff experience for their young core is the main goal this NBA season. Competing at the highest level and figuring out who will be a part of the core group moving forward is vital for Charlotte this year and things seem to be going as planned.
So far this NBA season, Charlotte has been very competitive in every game they have played and while LaMelo Ball was drafted to be the point guard of the future, Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham are not going to back down easily and let him steal their minutes. Rozier in particular was a guy talked about all offseason about potentially being the odd-man-out for Charlotte, but he has arguably been their best player early on in the season.
In three games so far this year, Terry Rozier is averaging 26.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shooting 51.9% from the floor, 43.3% from three-point range. Graham has struggled shooting early on this NBA season, but with the breakout season he had last year, he is still getting upwards of 35 minutes per game and will likely figure out how to get out of his shooting slump.
As a result of the great guard play in Charlotte, LaMelo Ball has been limited to about 17 minutes per game and has struggled to get going off the bench. With Terry Rozier playing as well as he is, the Hornets could still use him as trade bait and send him packing for a higher price than normal at some point this NBA season if he continues to play at a high level.
Regardless of what Charlotte decides to do with Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and Devonte’ Graham are the future of the Hornets backcourt, but they could be even better and create more depth by going out and trading for LaMelo’s brother. Lonzo Ball is an interesting name that has floated around in trade talks and given the Pelicans abundance of talent in their backcourt, they may be willing to move on from the former #2 overall pick.
The “do-it-all” point guard could fit in nicely in Charlotte next to his brother and while the Hornets do have Rozier, Graham, and LaMelo, you can never have too many solid players in your backcourt. With Lonzo’s value not especially high, he is very affordable for the Hornets and could be a target for them this NBA season. Let’s take a look at a potential trade that would send Lonzo Ball to Charlotte to unite with his brother.
