After striking gold in last year's draft, Charlotte eyes 7-foot-2 playmaker Aday Mara to provide a dynamic offensive spark alongside LaMelo Ball and a rising young core.
The Charlotte Hornets hit on four of their draft picks last season, helping the team navigate a turnaround to earning a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley are building blocks for the future. Knueppel finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year vote and led the association in most three-point shots made.
LaMelo Ball is growing into a star in the NBA.
But the Hornets are not done.
Charlotte will have two first-round picks in this summer's draft, No. 14 and No. 18.
Jeremy Woo of ESPN predicted the Hornets would draft center Aday Mara from Michigan with the No. 14 pick.
"Mara is the closest thing this draft has to a unicorn big man, standing 7-2 with excellent passing skills and a positional size and skill advantage at center," Woo wrote. "If he can become a workable jump shooter -- which was a goal for him behind the scenes at Michigan -- his upside scenarios become very intriguing, making him a consideration for any team in need of a center.
"Charlotte is one such team, having found unexpected value at that position with Moussa Diabate but lacking a dynamic offensive frontcourt player it can play through. Adding Mara would give the Hornets a very different look, with his playmaking likely to make life easier for their perimeter players."
Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson thinks last year’s draft class will make his job during this year's draft much easier.
“That just makes it easier, again, for whoever we draft this year,” said Peterson. “They get to see those four rookies as an example. Those are the guys who will continue to set the tone, of course, with the other guys in the locker room.
"It’ll make it easier for whoever we bring in. Like they can look at somebody like Sion and he’s setting an example of when to show up, what to do, things like that.”
Mara could be a key part of a young core in Charlotte.
He averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists for Michigan, helping the Wolverines win the national championship in April.