San Antonio Spurs Receive: C Mason Plumlee, G James Bouknight, 2023 First-Round Pick (CHA – Top 10 Protected)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Jakob Poeltl
Different versions of this deal actually floated around at this season’s trade deadline. It made sense then, and it makes sense now.
Jakob Poeltl would be the perfect big man for this Charlotte Hornets roster. Actually, he’s one of the more underrated players in the league. Poeltl is one of the league’s premier rim protectors, but he can also survive in space. That skillset would be vital for a team that finished in the league’s bottom 10 in Defensive Rating.
The Hornets are paying a hefty sum for his services here. James Bouknight is a young player with a lot of upside. He has the potential to be one of the better pure scorers in the NBA someday. He also hardly saw the floor for Hornets head coach James Borrego last season, averaging a mere 9.8 minutes per contest.
The Spurs may see him as a quality backcourt partner for emerging star Dejounte Murray. They’re also receiving some draft equity in this deal. These two teams could negotiate the protections on the pick.
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An unprotected selection in a stacked draft probably takes Charlotte from the bargaining table. On the other hand, lottery protection may not motivate the Spurs to effectively swap Poeltl for Bouknight.
Top 10 protection feels like a compromise. Whatever the two teams decide, there could be a deal to be done here.
