The Core You Build Around in Charlotte

Looking at the approach the Charlotte Hornets should have at the trade deadline.

At 8-29, the Charlotte Hornets own the league's fourth-worst record. Their most recent loss to the San Antonio Spurs - one of the three teams with fewer wins - by 36 points proves that the season is spiraling out of control and it doesn't appear as if there is an end to this poor play in sight.

Unless the Hornets miraculously rip off a bunch of wins ahead of the February 8th NBA trade deadline, Charlotte has to consider blowing up this roster and focus on building around its young core.

Who is included in that group the Hornets need to build with?

LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Nick Smith Jr. That's it. That's the list. Every other player on Charlotte's roster can be made available for trade and it wouldn't hurt the organization's future. 

Charlotte needs to go ahead and part ways with Gordon Hayward while they can. I understand you're not going to get much in return as the market for an aging veteran with an extensive injury history on an expiring contract is going to be very thin. However, you move him and get something rather than letting him walk in the offseason. It never makes sense to me to hold on to a player that you know won't be with you in the future when you're well out of the mix for the playoffs.

I'm probably higher on Terry Rozier than most, but he's the one that's going to bring you back the most value. Is it a first-round pick? Is it multiple second rounders? A talented younger player that needs a change of scenery? Who knows. But he's the only player on this roster that offers that many possibilities. If there is a deal that comes along that makes sense, you make it. 

And really, the same can be said for the entire roster aside from the four players that the Hornets should build around. Is Nick Smith Jr. a future starter? It's very possible. He's shown flashes of being a playmaker on the offensive end of the floor and has already proven to be a better prospect than former first rounder James Bouknight. It's still too early in his career to have any interest in moving off of him unless he is included in a package that nets you an all-star caliber player that is in his early-mid 20s. 

The other three - Ball, Miller, and Williams - are off the table. As they grow together and gain more experience in the league, they could turn into a respectable big three. 

The last thing the Hornets can afford to do is sit on their hands and let the deadline go by without any moves being made. 

Two Hornets Listed on The Athletic's Top 35 Names on Trade Market

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