Making the Case: Charlotte Hornets
The goal for the Charlotte Hornets needs to be to do what’s necessary to position themselves well long-term. Getting a long-term deal done with Miles Bridges will be among their priorities as he’s set to reach restricted free agency this offseason.
The appeal for the Hornets for this NBA trade scenario would be to shed the long-term final year of salary owed to Gordon Hayward in 2023-24. Charlotte would achieve precisely that by taking on Russell Westbrook’s expiring deal.
Westbrook would not be a clean fit for the Hornets considering he’s a bad off-ball player under any context and their focus should be on LaMelo Ball having the ball in his hands. Charlotte could attempt to reach a buyout agreement or give him the John Wall treatment if needed.
The ability to add a future first-round pick from the Lakers would be an intriguing option for the Hornets to consider. Surely, LeBron James will be long gone by then and the franchise will be in a poor position given they are focused on the short-term.
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If Westbrook were to still be in the fold by then, the Hornets could later use Westbrook’s contract to their advantage in trade talks close to the NBA trade deadline. A massive expiring deal could be utilized to take on contracts from a team looking to clear cap space for the next offseason.
