How High Can the Hornets Move Up in the Draft?
The sense around the league is that the Charlotte Hornets are not going to use both the 13th and 15th picks in the draft. They'll either package the picks in a deal to move up, move out of No. 15 for future picks, or possibly use the picks to trade for a player although it's unlikely.
When picking in the middle of the first round, it's very rare to find a generational talent. Sure, you may get lucky and stumble upon one but the odds of that happening aren't very high. The Hornets don't necessarily need a generational talent, but they could use some help in certain areas, particularly the frontcourt.
The two names that have been tied to the Hornets the most have been Jalen Duren out of Memphis and Mark Williams from Duke. There's an outside shot that Duren falls into Charlotte's lap at No. 13, but many draft experts believe he will be long gone by then as a top ten selection.
So with that said, if the Hornets happen to fall in love with Duren or perhaps a guard with a high ceiling such as Shaedon Sharpe, they're going to have to move up to get their guy. Luckily for GM Mitch Kupchak, he has the assets to do it.
If this is the Hornets' play, who could be the trade partner and how high could they move up the board? In my opinion, there are three realistic options - Washington, San Antonio, and Portland.
Washington Wizards - 10th pick
The Wizards would love to pick up an extra first round pick if it only means moving back just a few spots. Ochai Agbaji, Jeremy Sochan, Dyson Daniels, AJ Griffin, and several others should be still available at 13. If Duren falls to ten, I would expect Mitch Kupchak to be on the phone immediately with Tommy Sheppard in regards to moving up.
San Antonio Spurs - 9th pick
If the Spurs happen to move the 20th and 25th picks in a separate deal, they could be interested in moving back and acquiring Charlotte's 13th and 15th picks. This would give San Antonio an opportunity to draft two solid youngsters to build around rather than settling for a potential boom or bust prospect like Shaedon Sharpe. The Spurs need a lot of help and if the board doesn't fall the way they want it to, they could see a lot of value in moving back a few spots and gaining an extra pick along with it.
Portland Trail Blazers - 7th pick
Seventh overall is probably the highest the Hornets could really go in the draft. Ironically, this could be where Jalen Duren comes off the board considering Portland would be interested in the 6'11" big man. In order to pull a deal off with Portland, they have to overwhelm them with an offer which would mean including player(s) in the trade as well. Whether it be P.J. Washington, Kai Jones, or James Bouknight, one of them will need to be packaged in the deal for the Trail Blazers to be willing to move out of this spot.
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