#3 Charlotte Hornets
It is no secret that the Charlotte Hornets will be pursuing a center this offseason and if they are unable to land Richaun Holmes or Montrezl Harrell, two of their top center targets, then they could turn their attention to Nerlens Noel.
Compared to Holmes and Harrell, Noel can come to Charlotte at a much lower price and could actually be a solid fit for them seeing as he is an above-average rim-protector. They may not bring him in to be their starting center, but Nerlens Noel could definitely be a “change of pace” type of center for them, especially if the Hornets look to target a young center like Isaiah Jackson or Kai Jones in the draft.
Given that the Hornets get most of their offensive production from their backcourt with guys like LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, as well as Gordon Hayward on the wing, Charlotte does not really need a scoring-first type of big man in free agency this year.
Having a guy who can protect the rim on one end and then create second-chance points on the other end of the floor is exactly what the Hornets need and is exactly the kind of player Nerlens Noel can be for them. He averaged 6.4 rebounds per game this season and over 30% of his total rebounds this season came on the offensive-end of the floor.
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Having a guy to “clean up the mess” on the glass is exactly what the Charlotte Hornets need, which is why they could look to pursue Nerlens Noel at a lower price tag than some of their other rumored center targets this offseason.
