Why The Charlotte Hornets Do The Deal 

By contrast, the Charlotte Hornets might actually prefer to win some games next year. As mentioned, their outlook as an organization is fairly unclear at the moment. 

Perhaps that’s a reason to take a step back. The Hornets aren’t going to be competing for an NBA title in 2022-23, so taking a measure to improve their future at the expense of their present may be a wise choice. 

This deal accomplishes that. It’s hard to say what the Hornets would do with Westbrook. Most teams would likely opt to buy him out in their situation, but given Michael Jordan’s affinity for Russ, the Hornets may prefer to offer him a sixth-man role behind Ball. 

Either way, they’re primarily interested in flipping Hayward’s deal for Westbrook’s expiring one here – along with, of course, nabbing a first-round pick. In total, the Charlotte Hornets improve their salary sheet and their draft capital with this trade. 

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For a team so unsure of its own identity, those are both noble goals.