As magical as this season has been, the Charlotte Hornets will have a few decisions to make in terms of roster turnover. And there's one free agent that poses a tantalizing fit.
The Charlotte Hornets are the NBA’s next big thing. But they’re missing one piece.
Currently, Charlotte has positioned itself nicely, sitting in the 10th seed of the Eastern Conference, with a comfortable 7.5 game lead over 11th-seed Milwaukee Bucks.
Barring a tragic meltdown in the final 11 games of the season, whatever happens this season is immediately an upgrade from what we’re used to seeing from this franchise.
Which is why we already have an eye on next season’s possibilities, and how the Hornets can build on their success and sustain it.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote a piece highlighting three free agency targets for all 30 NBA teams and putting them in a tier of dream, optimistic and realistic targets. And his analysis of Charlotte should leave Hornets fans encouraged.
For Buckley’s Dream target to the Hornets, our Matthew Schmidt offered in-depth analysis on who that target is, and why the fit works so well.
A player that often flies under the radar in the NBA is Keon Ellis, and he is someone that Buckley believes can be an optimistic target for the Hornets this offseason.
After spending most of his career with the Sacramento Kings, the Alabama alum has carved out a nice role for himself in the league as a supporting role player.
The Kings eventually traded Ellis to the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to the NBA Trade Deadline to 1) get his expiring $2.3 million cap hit off the books and 2) give him the opportunity to contribute to a playoff team.
In 215 games played, Ellis has averaged 6.5 points per game, but dropping 41% of his 3-pointers taken. In this era of the NBA, elite perimeter shooting is not just a luxury, it’s a necessity.
And with the emergence of Kon Knueppel, the Hornets have become one of the league’s most dangerous teams from the perimeter, currently ranking third in the league, shooting at a 38.3% clip.
Now imagine adding Ellis to that bunch?
There’s nothing more important to a team than having a lethal perimeter shooter coming off the bench with active hands and a persistent defensive prowess.
While you have your top players resting, it’s imperative to deploy efficient scorers so you don’t have to risk burning out your top guys.
Buckley writes: “With the Hornets likely exception shopping, their budget can only stretch so far. But if it stretches far enough to sign Ellis, that'd be money well-spent. He's a career 41.5 percent three-point shooter who routinely handles (and typically pesters) the toughest defensive assignment in the backcourt.”
Finding a player who can handle himself on both ends of the floor is immense, and Charlotte is a team that is still trying to find its identity for on-ball defense.
Currently, the Hornets rank 29th in steals per game, only averaging 7.1, while Ellis has averaged 1.2 steals per game in his four seasons.
Ellis wouldn’t come cheap, as many are projecting he can earn up to $52 million over three seasons if Cleveland decides to extend him.
If not, Charlotte should come knocking.
It’ll need to do some restructuring though. The Hornets can easily cut Pat Connaughton’s contract after the season and either opt to let Xavier Tillman walk, or sign him to a one-year $3 million deal because of his locker room presence.
Then you have to figure out how to offload both Tre Mann’s $8 million and Grant Williams’ $14 million cap hits.
Thirdly, it’s expected that the Hornets will attempt to extend guard Coby White, who is due for a raise from his $12.8 million per year contract.
If General Manager Jeff Peterson can make all of that work, then the option to bring Ellis on board is extremely enticing.
The Hornets already have the core to make a deep run. It’s now about creating sustainable depth.
With Ellis being a young player who can shoot and is active on the defensive end, he will be in high demand, which is why Buckley has him labeled as an “optimistic” target for the Hornets.
But if the Hornets find a way to bring him on, it turns them from a Play-In contender to a Divisional champion contender.
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