Does this trade make sense for the Charlotte Hornets?
In no way does getting rid of Miles Bridges for Jeremy Lamb make sense for the Charlotte Hornets, even if they are able to acquire a first-round pick as well from Indiana. At just 23-years-old, Bridges has cemented himself as one of the more electric players in the entire league as a result of his abilities to play well-above the rim and push the tempo of play.
It seems like every time he is on the court, something special happens in terms of a highlight-type play, which is why the Hornets would be foolish to get rid of him. In addition, Jeremy Lamb is pretty much a downgrade in terms of overall talent and potential compared to Miles Bridges.
He shot 40.6% from three-point range last season, which is definitely something the Hornets could utilize on the wing, but overall, Lamb is 29-years-old and has suffered some key injuries that limit his overall production now. Lamb is even coming off of a season in which he was injured and missed half of the Indiana Pacers total games.
The only part of this trade that makes sense for Charlotte is trading away Nick Richards, especially since they now have Mason Plumlee and Kai Jones in their frontcourt. With them liking Vernon Carey Jr. and Jalen McDaniels as well, there is really no room for Richards to earn minutes off-the-bench for the Hornets, which is why he is a guy they would happily give up for a veteran like Jeremy Lamb.
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The only problem though is that they cannot trade him alone in a deal for the Pacers’ veteran. Nick Richards is owed $1.5M for the 2021-22 season, meaning that the Hornets would need to include another contract somewhere in the $4.5M-$7M range to make the finances of this trade work out. There just really is no scenario in which the Charlotte Hornets would give up key assets to acquire Lamb, which is why this trade is not going to happen.
