The 2022 NBA offseason has gotten off on the wrong foot for the Charlotte Hornets. After firing head coach James Borrego, they thought that they had found their replacement in Golden State Warriors assistant head coach Kenny Atkinson.
However, days after agreeing to a deal in principle, Atkinson decided not to take the job and will be returning to the Warriors staff. He will technically be receiving a promotion there, as fellow assistant Mike Brown is taking the head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings.
It’s back to the drawing board for Charlotte when it comes to their head coaching search and now they have to juggle the 2022 NBA Draft as well. The Hornets have two selections in the first round, No. 13 and 15, which have been mentioned consistently as potential trade pieces.
In addition to the picks, Charlotte has also made numerous players on their roster available for trade. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, in his recent NBA intel article, trade interest is expected to be gauged in Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Mason Plumlee.
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Terry Rozier signed an extension last August that will keep him under contract through 2026, but it could be tough to keep paying him with some of their younger players approaching extensions themselves. P.J. Washington is eligible for an extension this offseason, while Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee are on expiring deals.
The impending restricted free agency of Miles Bridges is a big reason that the Charlotte Hornets are going to gauge the trade interest of those players. Gordon Hayward is another player whom they are actively looking for a new home for, as he has two years and $60 million left on his contract.
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In addition to clearing some cap space, a goal of Charlotte’s in these trade negotiations should be finding a new starting center. It is the biggest missing piece on their roster, a position they have been looking to upgrade the last few seasons.
