Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: C Cody Zeller, G Malik Monk, BRK 2021 2nd Round Pick
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F Al Horford
The main goal of the Thunder is to continue adding youthful talent to their roster and stockpile more and more draft picks, which is why trading away Al Horford near the NBA trade deadline makes sense. Long-term, he has no future in OKC, but Charlotte could absolutely use a veteran big man like Horford.
The Hornets have been one of the surprise teams early on in the season as they have started 11-13 through their first 23 games and are a pretty well-balanced team with Gordon Hayward leading Charlotte’s young core. Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington and Devonte’ Graham are all continuing to play at a high-level this year, but the biggest addition to this team has been the play of rookie LaMelo Ball.
The 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft looks like the clear front-runner to be the Rookie of the Year this season and recently became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. With all the success the young Hornets players are having, all this team needs is more established, veteran talent like Hayward, which is why trading for a guy like Al Horford could be a great fit.
Horford has never averaged less than 10 points per game over the course of a season in the NBA and this year with the Thunder, he is continuing the success he has had for over 13 years now. Being a reliable mid-range shooter and rebounder is what the Hornets could use, especially since Cody Zeller has been out since their first game of the season with a broken bone in his hand and since P.J. Washington is still a young player learning how to play in the NBA.
On the other side of things, while he is out right now, Cody Zeller could be a solid addition to the Thunder, especially since he is in the final year of his deal. He would likely play through the season and then hit the market as a free agent, freeing up more cap space for the Thunder to play around with.
Malik Monk, even though he is in the final year of his deal, could be a great role player the Thunder look to keep around for a cheap price. Last year, in 55 games for Charlotte, Monk averaged 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and shot 43.4% from the floor. He is a better overall shooter than his stats say he is and with a new team, he could develop into a very reliable perimeter oriented guard to add depth behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt.
With all of this being said, let’s take a closer look at why exactly this trade makes sense for both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets.
