The Charlotte Hornets would be over the moon if this happened.
The Charlotte Hornets were one of the biggest surprises in basketball this season, winning 44 games and qualifying for the play-in tournament. They just missed the playoffs, but it was a tremendous year for them regardless.
Now, the Hornets will look to the offseason, where they are armed with a pair of first-round draft picks and nice financial flexibility.
Here's the thing, though: because Charlotte did not make the playoffs, it will be in the NBA Draft lottery, and it has an outside shot of securing a top-four pick.
Bill Simmons spoke about the Hornets' draft odds during the most recent edition of his podcast, and he pitched a wild scenario for Charlotte.
"Charlotte has 2.4 percent odds (of getting a top-four pick), but can we have them jump to 3 and take (Cameron) Boozer?" Simmons said. "LaMelo (Ball), Kon (Knueppel), (Miles) Bridges, Boozer ... and Brandon Miller, and then (Moussa) Diabate, that's a fun team," Simmons said.
No kidding.
Cameron Boozer. Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.Right now, the Hornets are projected to land the 14th overall selection, so moving all the way up to No. 3 would certainly be a heck of a coup.
My question, though, is would Boozer even be the right pick for Charlotte if it did somehow nab the third overall pick? Would the Hornets be better off selecting Caleb Wilson, who offers more potential as a two-way player?
Regardless, it would be terrifying for the rest of the league if Charlotte did somehow secure a top-four selection in the draft, especially considering how much young talent the team already possesses.
The Hornets were one of the best ballclubs in the NBA during the second half of the season, and while they are still a couple of pieces away from legitimately contending for a championship, you can see that the nucleus is there.
Much of Charlotte's summer will hinge on whether or not it re-signs Coby White, whom it acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Chicago Bulls.
White is expected to remain with the Hornets, but we'll see what happens.
Charlotte might also peruse the trade market to see what other names it could add to its already impressive roster.
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