Does this trade make sense for the Charlotte Hornets?
The biggest problem for the Hornets right now, besides locking up their froncourt of the future, is figuring out their cap figures. Charlotte is currently close to $20M under the tax line this season and they do have money that they can spend on a player like Richaun Holmes, but Miles Bridges is going to be a restricted free agent this offseason and LaMelo Ball will be extension-eligible after next season.
Both Bridges and Ball are going to be receiving big contract offers from the Hornets and assuming the team holds onto both players, they will be in a tight position financially since Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are also on long-term deals.
Finding reliable frontcourt talent that they can afford will be tough if the Hornets extend both Bridges and Ball, which is why acquiring Richaun Holmes now solves a lot of their problems.
He did just sign a new four-year, $46.5M deal with the Sacramento Kings that is fully-guaranteed through the 2024-25 season, assuming he would opt into the final year of his contract via a player option, but the value of this contract is very good for a team like Charlotte.
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They would not be paying Holmes too much or too little over the next few years and they would not have to worry about developing him into what they need. Richaun Holmes is pretty much a finished product right now and would pair nicely with this team given his ability to roll to the basket off of pick-and-roll sets.
LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier run a lot of P&R sets offensively, which is why Holmes could very well end up being a nice fit for this team as they look to solidify themselves as a playoff threat in the Eastern Conference.
