How This Trade Impacts Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are on a quest to upgrade their center position. While Brook Lopez doesn’t seem like he would be a fit for their style of play, he is someone that would represent a nice upgrade on what they have been using.
Lopez would be a good fit offensively as his 3-point shooting would open up the lane for his teammates to attack the rim. While he isn’t deployed as much in post-ups, Lopez is skilled enough to punish mismatches down low when given the opportunity.
Defensively, he has also come a long way. Lopez is one of the best in the business playing drop coverage and he is virtually impossible to score on at the rim. He allowed opponents to shoot only 36 percent at the rim, best in the league among players who contested as many shots as he did.
The Hornets don’t have a ton of depth on the wing to part with Kelly Oubre Jr., but they still do have Gordon Hayward. If he remains healthy, Oubre’s loss won’t be felt as much. Miles Bridges and Cody Martin, both restricted free agents, can also be retained. This can also be a chance to see what they have in James Bouknight, a first-round pick in 2021 if they go with some smaller lineups.
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While not a big splash move, the Hornets are certainly a better team with Lopez taking over the starting center spot. They would still have the assets to swing another trade as well should one arise that they see fit.
