Why The Charlotte Hornets Do The Deal 

Centers may be plentiful, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable. The Hornets will attest to that – they need one, badly. 

Nurkic doesn’t have to be the long-term answer. In fact, the Hornets drafted a big man this season. Still, it’s unlikely that Mark Williams will be ready to start for a competitive team in 2022-23. 

On that note: the Hornets should aim to be competitive in 2022-23. After all, murmurs are already surfacing that LaMelo Ball is concerned with the organization’s direction.

They should have time to work with, but it’s fleeting. An improvement this season would likely negate any concerns the star point guard may have. 

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Acquiring Jusuf Nurkic should help them improve. He’ll be a solid pick-and-roll partner for Ball in the half-court. Moreover, he’ll provide the type of interior presence this team was missing in 2021-22: Given their play-in tournament loss, it feels fair to say they need it.