If Scoot can shoot the deep ball well, 37-39%, then heāll be in the conversation and a phenomenal consolation prize. With his elite athleticism and ability to get to the rim, a good outside shot would make guarding him extremely tough. Donāt like the fit for us, but heās certainly top 3 on a Hornets specific board.
Being as optimistic as I can. @Eastley stated what Iām guilty of though. My life expectancy will definitely shorten Tuesday night.
Draft Scoot and trade Melo to LA for S&T AD and a first.
I had the same thought except with Miller in stead of Scoot. And either could ONLY happen if God forbid Wemby has an injury plagued careerā¦. But we are longggg overdue for this #1 pick. Itās ours this year.
I had thought about the scenario of drafting Scoot and the franchise subsequently trading LaMelo.
I highly, highly doubt the front office would consider it, but there is a world where they commit to a rebuild and base it around Scoot, Williams, the likes of McGowens, Thor, our multitude of other picks in this draft and multiple first round picks for a few years. Why would they do this? In the event LaMelo says he wants to leave and win now.
Again, I donāt see this happening, but Scoot would be a hedge against LaMelo wanting to leave.
Slim chance this franchise is capable of that kind of analysis or risk taking. And in the event they even would there is a high probability they would screw it up.
Houston has already signaled they are interested in options if they get #2 or #3. If hornets win #1 and Houston is #2, would you trade melo to Houston for #2? If so, what would that type of package realistically look like?
Not sure, but I think any package has to start with DJ Augustin and Frank Kaminsky, right?
Does Melo coming off injury get you more than the 2/3 pick alone?
At the risk of tar and feathering, I didnāt write that I donāt think so. At least, I wouldnāt offer that if I was Houston. Maybe, a Hayward salary exchange type move. But if Charlotte were adding two high profile rookies, I am inclined to keep hayward
https://www.si.com/nba/magic/news/nba-trade-rumors-charlotte-hornets-pg-lamelo-ball-orlando-magic
Is all this stuff just rumor mill ājournalismā or is there legitimate smoke behind this stuff?
Guessing just off season conjecture. Always loads of nonsense when a teamās done playing.
Iād be open to trading Ball, but it wouldnāt be at a discount our fear of losing him, and Iām certainly not doing any favors for any other Eastern Conference teams.
All conjecture. They donāt even propose what a trade might look like. Moving LaMelo obviously points to a reset. So, I would look to keep our lottery pick, and possibly get both magic lottery picks and maybe even a prospect or two. Could give them pick 27. Not ready to move LaMelo, so doesnāt matter.
Yeah, that article is all nonsense. Fan Nation was either created or bought by SI, so while weāre used to seeing connected, experienced reporters associated with the SI brand, Fan Nation is more like Bleacher Report used to be, they hire out local young people or fans to contribute.
And theres definitely some good writers with good content, but there also isnāt consistency across the quality of writers across all the teams and leagues, and anyone can ācreate contentā for driving traffic. And when youāre a recent college graduate trying to make a name like this writer, throwing Meloās name out with trade speculation with the SI brand will get clicks and discussion.
But did anyone see these suddenly very breaking news headlines: NBA Trade Rumors: Durant Disappointed in Suns, wants to play with LaMelo Ball in Charlotte?
RUMOR: Zion Wants To Be Closer To Home, Team Up With Ball
RUMOR: Giannis Thinks Him and Embiid Would Be Unstoppable, Trade Brewing?
I doubt it too and I want to reiterate, this is not what I would do, itās conjecture based around the scenario that LaMelo wants out. If he does, and Scoot is available at our pick (assuming itās not #1 obviously) then that is a viable avenue to pursue.
I want LaMelo to stay here. I love having a true PG with incredible vision, who gets a kick out of involving his teammates. But we should have hit the reset button in LaMeloās rookie season, when we realised we had a franchise shaping talent on our hands. We didnāt, sadly, and I think this draft offers us a viable hope, maybe our last one, of adding a top level prospect around him, and Williams, that complements LaMeloās style of play ā¦ with a bit of lottery luck. Otherwise, he might just get itchy feet.
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Hornets take Amen and Maxwell Lewis.
I still do not want either of the Thompson twins. I hate their fit with our roster, due to neither of them being able to shoot.
Exert from an ESPN article on the impact of getting #1/Wemby for each lottery team. Think heās summed things up pretty well, to be fair.
The Hornets have been one of the NBAās most rudderless teams dating back to their inception in 1988, failing to make the playoffs since 2016 and not advancing a round in more than 20 years. Shockingly, the team has had just one top-three pick in the past decade (LaMelo Ball in 2020), and doesnāt otherwise have much to show for all the losing theyāve endured with a roster that looks extremely thin on talent outside of the passing magician Ball. That makes Tuesdayās drawing all the more important as it gives the team an opportunity to cycle out of the mediocrity thatās become the norm in Charlotte. ā Givony
I think Iāve figured a way to watch the lottery tomorrow without having a heart attack. This is all theory, so if it fails anyone, blameā¦.ai or something (not Iverson).
If the absolute worst case scenario happens for us, and we see ourselves at #8, well, weāre still guaranteed to be able to draft one of Walker, Whitmore, Hendricks, or one of the super athletic, intelligent, playmaking, defending, and kinda non-shooting twins.
Thatās the baseline, and itās at least an acceptable level of high talent to add, with not a ton of known difference between the players in this tier. So 5-8 may not be a huge deal necessarily.
If we survive the non dropping portion of the lottery, then weāre guaranteed to get our first choice of which one of those guys we like best, which is even better. And thereās a world where Miller could fall to 4 and we can still get him.
If they flip our card at 3, we have a chance at Scoot or Miller. Then if we luck into #2, we get to pick which one we like best.
So Iāll allow myself to feel these things at each card flip, and not get ahead to daydreaming about the best case scenario. Iāll only consider or entertain any notion of it if, and only if, card #2 flips over and itās not us. I wonāt become Rich Cho again, no no, Iāve encased my heart in too much reinforced nuclear grade concrete to allow that pain to seep in ever again.
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Thatās my mindset, though summed up with far more clarity, too. Iām slightly confused as to the rational of the odds, with our statistically most likely landing spot being 6th. But, that aside, weāre in a good spot to add some real talent.
That said, a quick back pedal is in order, as I am going to struggle if we land either of the Twins. Iād almost go so far as to say my number sense, should we land a top three pick, will be that of relief ā¦ relief that weāve avoided selecting a twin.
*watch them go elsewhere, magically develop a reliable outside shot and become all stars. Because thatās what they will be if they can shoot at an NBA average clip for a Guard/Wing.
Iām telling myself itās better if we donāt get number one because weād just ruin the poor slob.
Nope. Charlotte absolutely needs to win the lottery. I believe melo most likely bolts if they donāt.
I donāt expect to win the lottery but I am holding out hope.
I expect to get whatever the most soul crushing result will be