Why The Charlotte Hornets Do The Deal 

The Hornets may have skipped some steps in their rebuilding process. 

Acquiring Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward to complement franchise player LaMelo Ball made some sense in theory. The result has been a perpetually mediocre team. The Hornets may need to acquire a long-term core before they’re ready to start winning games. 

Onyeka Onkongwu feels like a perfect candidate for that core. Currently, he’s stuck behind Clint Capela in the Hawks’ rotation. He’d be a day-one starter on the Hornets. They could use his versatile defense, and his abilities in the pick-and-roll ought to compliment Ball nicely. 

Sure, a first-round pick, and Rozier is a hefty price to pay for him. What are the odds that the pick would yield a player with Onkongwu’s upside?

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & Atlanta Hawks Updates

The Hornets need a play like him badly enough that he’s worth marginally overpaying for. 

How badly do the Hawks need Towns?