The Charlotte Hornets’ hopes of adding a generational talent through the 2025 draft were dashed after a bit of misfortune in the lottery. Still, they could end up with a franchise-changing prospect, as VJ Edgecombe and Ace Bailey have displayed excellent upside. But what if the Hornets decided to make a series of trades to drop in the draft and grab two targets who have previously been mentioned as potentially great fits with the team?
That’s a proposal Owen O’Connor of SI recently made, suggesting that Charlotte ship the No. 4 pick in exchange for the Toronto Raptors’ ninth pick, which it would use on Khaman Maluach. To avoid a glut at the center position, Mark Williams would be sent to the Golden State Warriors in a package that would land Jonathan Kuminga on the Hornets.
The trade
Of course, the trades O’Connor came up with aren’t straightforward deals. Instead, the Hornets would also acquire two second-round picks and a top-five protected 2027 first-rounder from the Raptors. On the other hand, he appears to believe that Williams has a higher trade value than Kuminga, as his proposal has the Warriors shipping out a top-five protected first-round selection in 2028 and a second-rounder.
In essence, Charlotte would be giving up Williams and the No. 4 pick this summer for Kuminga, the No. 9 and 39 overall picks, and two future first-round and two future second-round picks. Not a bad haul.
However, the trade would be contingent on Maluach still being available at No. 9. A caveat is that some mock drafts have the former Duke University center getting chosen a few spots earlier.
It’s also worth noting that Kuminga could be a restricted free agent. In that case, trading for him would require a sign-and-trade deal. Interestingly, O’Connor believes that the 22-year-old would be willing to accept a three-year, $42 million contract, which I don’t think is realistic, considering that he reportedly sought an annual salary of $35 million in his failed extension talks with Golden State last year.
So, if the Hornets are willing to shell out that amount of money for a potential star, they would have to attach another player or two, such as Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Green, or Grant Williams, to make the finances work. Doing so would probably have the Warriors demanding some form of draft compensation to push through with a deal. Fortunately, Charlotte is armed with plenty of future second-round selections.
The grade
To be honest, doing these trades would be too risky for Buzz City. However, they might be a plausibly better alternative for the team after it missed out on the opportunity to get Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper.
Kuminga has been mentioned a lot on this site as a dream target because he could slot into the forward spot alongside Miles Bridges, giving the squad a potent scorer with the physical tools to be a solid defender. His value may have tanked in the playoffs, but that’s because the Dubs underutilized him. In Charlotte, his role would be much clearer and more consistent.
As for Maluach, he has been brought up as the perfect replacement for Williams if the Hornets prefer to move on from their starting center for good this summer. The 18-year-old big man might not be as polished offensively as his fellow Blue Devil alum, but his ceiling on defense appears to be higher, and he has shown an outside shooting touch that Williams has yet to develop.
The trades would yield a starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Kuminga, and Maluach (once he is ready to take the next step). While there are flaws here and there in that lineup, especially on defense, it certainly looks formidable if the players can remain healthy.
