Why It Makes Sense For The Charlotte Hornets

Of course, this trade makes sense for the Charlotte Hornets. They’re getting the star player. The trade justifies itself.

That’s not to downplay the price the Hornets are paying here. Three first-round picks is a sizeable one. Meanwhile, James Bouknight was selected 11th overall in the last draft. He received very limited run for the Hornets in his rookie year, but he still has upside as a volume scorer.

The Hornets shouldn’t flinch. They’re assembling, arguably, the best backcourt in the NBA. It doesn’t hurt that both men are on the right side of 25.

More importantly, there’s a potential synergy between Ball and Mitchell that’s hard to deny. Ball is a prodigious playmaker with some scoring chops. Mitchell is an upper-tier scorer with some playmaking ability. The balance between the two would make them a headache for opposing defenses on a nightly basis.

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This trade would mark the end of the Hornets’ rebuild. They would become a competitive team, officially. For the league’s general managers, that’s the end goal.