The Charlotte Hornets are becoming a more and more common landing spot for LaMelo Ball as the 2020 NBA Draft nears. After being projected to head to the Michael Jordan-owned franchise by USA Today earlier in the week, the LA Times recently followed suit.
In a mock draft from Dan Woike, Ball landed in Charlotte after Anthony Edwards went first to the Timberwolves and James Wiseman went second to the Warriors.
“The Hornets are rumored to be in the market for a center, and Wiseman would be perfect. But if he’s off the board, would they look elsewhere for the big man they need? They’ve got point guards in Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham, but neither of those players should keep you from taking Ball, maybe the most talented player in the draft. He’s perfect for the NBA pick-and-roll and can stretch defenses with his range. His defense is bad, but with effort and reps, there’s room for growth.”
An interesting aspect of the Hornets’ strategy in the NBA Draft will be how they react if James Wiseman is off the board at No. 3. The Hornets’ biggest and most obvious need is a big and most assume that will be the way they go if Wiseman is on the board. If he is not, the team will have an interesting decision between drafting whichever of Ball or Edwards is still on the board or going after a player like Onyeka Okongwu, who is the next best big on most draft boards.
The Hornets would also be in the driver’s seat for trade talks if Ball is on the board at No. 3. Any number of teams could be interested in trading up with Charlotte and it could be a way for them to gain an asset and move down and draft Okongwu.
Interestingly, in Woike’s mock, Okongwu goes to the Knicks with the No. 8 pick. New York is primed to be a side to trade up for Ball and it could be a deal that works for both sides.
