No NBA team wants to waste a first-round pick. It happens anyway. Realistically, it happens more often than fans would like to think. Players selected later in the first round are as likely to find themselves overseas in a few years as they are in an NBA starting lineup.
With that in mind, it’s unfortunate that the Charlotte Hornets have released Kai Jones. There seems to be something deeper at play here. An off-court issue led to the divorce between these parties. Here’s hoping that Jones can get his career back on track.
In the meantime, the Hornets may look to replace Jones. They don’t need a perfect replacement – if anything, it didn’t seem to be working with Jones. He’s a combo big best suited to play the 5, where the Hornets have ample talent. Could they look to add a 3-and-D wing instead? How about Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets?
The Trade Proposal
Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Nick Richards, G James Bouknight, F J.T. Thor, 2024 Second-Round Pick (BOS via CHA)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F Dorian Finney-Smith
The NBA draft is not an exact science. First-round picks are far from sure things. Meanwhile, second-round picks can be key players on a team. In the end, it boils down to good scouting – and a lot of good luck, too.
Take the Nets’ Nicolas Claxton. He barely missed out on being selected in the first round. Claxton was the 31st pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He was quite the selection. Claxton was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season. Next summer, he’ll hit restricted free agency. Look for Claxton to get paid like a lottery pick when that time comes.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Charlotte Hornets Updates
By contrast, Jones won’t be receiving a big contract. He’ll be lucky if he’s still in the NBA. We don’t know exactly what happened here. Jones is an outlier athlete – why isn’t he sticking? Either way, he’s not a Hornet anymore. Should the team acquire Finney-Smith to replace him?
Why The Charlotte Hornets Do The Deal
Some Hornets fans will protest this deal. Earlier, we said they had plenty of talent at the 5 spot. After this deal, that would no longer be the case. The Hornets will have waived Jones and traded Richards. That would leave Mark Williams to handle the five spot mostly alone.
Mostly. P.J. Washington is still on the roster as a small-ball option. Moreover, the Hornets could go get a low-cost backup. Realistically, they don’t need Williams and Richards – they can’t play together. Williams seems like the future if the Hornets are choosing.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Charlotte Hornets Updates
By contrast, Finney-Smith can play alongside anyone. He’s a combo forward who spaces the floor and defends. The Hornets are light on such players so Finney-Smith would be a suitable addition to the team. Should the Nets give him up?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
Some Nets fans will protest here as well. They’ll say the Nets are receiving a poo-poo platter in exchange for Finney-Smith. That’s true. Unfortunately, Finney-Smith was a wildly inconsistent shooter last season. As it stands, they aren’t likely to get much more for him.
Besides, Richards is a good player. We just touched on Claxton’s upcoming extension – will the Nets offer it? It’s been speculated that, given their position in the standings, they may not feel that they can afford Claxton. If the Nets don’t have a surprisingly competitive season, it shouldn’t come as a shock if they move on from the versatile big man. Richards could be a replacement.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets & Charlotte Hornets Updates
Otherwise, Bouknight is about to get surgery. His NBA future is unclear too. Still, if he can get healthy, his ability to create offense in the half-court could be valuable to this team. After all, Bouknight was a first-round pick too.
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