Charlotte Hornets – Grade: B-
Additions:
- Brandon Miller
- Nick Smith Jr.
- Amari Bailey
- Miles Bridges
- Frank Ntilikina
Losses:
- Kelly Oubre
- Dennis Smith
If the Hornets had drafted Scoot Henderson and not Brandon Miller, this would probably be an “A,” because to me Henderson is a walking superstar and I see Miller as a bust candidate. I loved the rest of Charlotte’s draft, and LaMelo Ball earned his max contract, but the team needs to start to get rid of its veteran pieces and just develop its excellent young talents, including Ball, Miller, Smith Jr., Bridges, Mark Williams and more.
Signings:
- LaMelo Ball – Grade: B+
- Miles Bridges – Grade: A-
- Frank Ntilikina – Grade: B
Trades:
- None
Hornets’ 2023 NBA Draft – Grade: C-
- No. 2: Brandon Miller, F, Alabama
- No. 27: Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
- No. 31: James Nnaji, C, Nigeria
- No. 43:Amari Bailey, G, UCLA
I have noted that Scoot Henderson would have been the far superior choice at No. 2, so I hate selecting Miller. Miller has elite gifts, can be a No. 1 scorer, and a star, but when it comes to intangibles and athleticism, Henderson should have been the pick. Smith was a lottery talent to me because of his scoring talent, and he could be a rookie starter because he fits very well. Nnaji was a first-round talent and could be a starting center in this league. I assume the Hornets will keep him overseas or in the G-League. Their last pick, Bailey, was a first round talent who has a lot of potential and could really help as a bench shooter. Charlotte improved its roster significantly with three starting talents from the 2023 NBA Draft, but the franchise made a huge mistake not taking Henderson.
