If I knew the answer to this, I would probably be running the organization, but I’m not. I could leave it at that, but this is a question that has been asked by Charlotte fans for the existence of the franchise. They have had good teams in the past and they certainly have a decent team now, but they have been missing something for the last 30+ years. What is it? I don’t know, but Hornets fans get frustrated each year when we see a sub-par team out on the court and draft picks in the late lottery. We know what to expect each season, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

Charlotte has been in the middle for a very long time. Too good to draft a difference maker and too bad to find any actual success. I guess you could say they “made” the playoffs the last two seasons, but at this point, almost all teams are allowed to play in the playoffs. There will be a new coach and likely a new outlook for the team. The GM, Mitch Kupchak received an extension, so he’s not going anywhere for now, but is that the right thing to do? It certainly doesn’t feel like it. The Hornets have made some questionable moves in free agency and they probably will continue to do so. Gordon Hayward is making roughly $30M and he’s not on the court for half of the games. Sure, you can’t really control that, they knew he had injury issues before signing him to the lucrative contract. When he’s on the court, he’s solid, but that’s the main obstacle.

So, what can they do to take the next step forward? Well, for starters, draft wisely. They have the 13th and 15th picks in the draft and there is value in that range this year. As of now, I think Mark Williams out of Duke and Ochai Agbaji out of Kansas are as good as you can get in the middle of the first round. Williams would help tremendously on the glass and is an athletic finisher around the rim. Agbaji would give the Hornets another nice wing/guard that is mature and NBA-ready.

No matter how well they do in the draft, they must re-sign Miles Bridges. The 24-year old Forward needs to be signed to a contract, no matter the price. The jump that he made from 2020-21 to 21-22 was incredible. He was always a good player, but he turned into a game-changer last season. Teams will likely be offering big deals to Bridges, but at this point, the Hornets don’t really have any other option but to match opposing offers. Bridges is a Restricted Free Agent, meaning he can sign elsewhere, but the Hornets have the final say if he stays or goes. The Hornets have to match opposing offers in order to keep him. They should re-sign no matter the cost. Because at this point, you’re not going to get another player to easily fill the void and you’re certainly not getting a player of his caliber in the late lottery immediately. The Blazers are currently a team with a lot of interest in Bridges, so be on the lookout for that.

Montrezl Harrell is likely going to be gone, but like I said earlier, the Hornets must sign a good big man. Harrell is good, but I don’t think he was what the Hornets specifically needed last season. With a new coach coming in, the roster may change and they may decide to retain him, but I guess we’ll find out. Mason Plume is fine, but he’s not a great rebounder. He does a lot of the things well and he’s an athletic big, but they need a guy that will clean the glass.

For the Hornets to take that next step, they simply need to acquire better talent. That’s obviously easier said than done and it seems like too obvious of statement, but it’s true. Hornets fans can back me up and confidently say that we’ve never had a team that could come close to contending for a championship. A team that could make it out of the first round? Sure, but never a real contender. You can’t contend for the NBA
title with a team with a couple above average players and the rest filled with mediocrity. That’s been the Hornets debacle for as long as I remember. There isn’t a lot of buzz surround potential trade targets, but Gordon Hayward is probably on the way out if they trade for a big piece. Ideally, I would think he could be traded to acquire a higher draft pick, but I can’t see any of the Top 5 teams moving out of their spot and if you venture just outside of the Top 5, there likely aren’t going to be immediate difference makers available. There’s always a learning curve when it comes to rookies. Also, a difference maker in terms of a vet, It appears that the Utah Jazz are going to break apart their team. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert could be on the way out. There’s talks of Deandre Ayton possibly being on the trade block. Making a splash with a big trade could give fans and the organization a much needed boost.

There are no definitive answer to the question of the Hornets taking the next step, but there are a bunch of potential solutions to the issues that they have been plagued with for over 30 years. In today’s NBA, you can’t make a run and have mediocre talent. You need some top level guys that can run the table. LaMelo Ball is on his way, but he’s not quite there yet. This may take a couple of years to see the final product, but I feel like the Hornets have been a couple years away for 10 years. You think they’re taking some steps forward, but they fall back into their mediocrity. It’s frustrating as a fan of the franchise, so hopefully we some changes for the positive starting this offseason.

Yacs

How Can the Hornets Take That Next Step?