Charlotte Hornets

While they have missed the playoffs for 4 consecutive years now, the Charlotte Hornets are trending in the right direction as an organization. This offseason, they drafted LaMelo Ball 3rd overall and also brought in former NBA All-Star wing, Gordon Hayward. 

Back in 2017, the Hornets were a team that aggressively tried to sign Hayward in free agency, but he ultimately elected to sign with the Celtics. This offseason, Charlotte made it a priority to finally land Gordon Hayward and they did, signing him to a four-year, $120M contract.

While acquiring Hayward is great for this franchise, they need another All-Star level player in order to make this team a legit contender for the playoffs in the East. This roster has some great role players on it, but they do not have another legit star level player like Blake Griffin.

Devonte’ Graham had a breakout second year in the NBA and was one of the league’s most improved players last season as he increased his points per game average by 13.5 points, his assists per game by 4.9 assists, and his three-point percentage by almost 10%. P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges are also two young, highly-talented forwards that will have a big impact with the Hornets moving forward.

This team has a lot of really good players and with the addition of Blake Griffin, they could make some noise in the Eastern Conference. The best thing about the Hornets is that they are a very balanced team everywhere except their frontcourt. P.J. Washington does not have much depth behind him at power-forward and then at center, the Hornets do not have a reliable option. 

Bringing in Blake Griffin makes a lot of sense for the Charlotte Hornets because they are a very young team and have virtually no experience in their frontcourt. Griffin would bring this experience and knows what it takes to get to the playoffs. With a playmaker like LaMelo Ball pushing the ball in transition with both Bridges and Griffin by his side, the Charlotte Hornets could end up being one of the better transition teams in the league. 

By signing Gordon Hayward this offseason, the Hornets made it clear they are doing everything they can to make a playoff push, but they need one more player to make this happen. Griffin is the perfect fit for them and they have the financial resources to be able to bring in his mega-contract.