A New Day in Charlotte

[JustBuzzin]

I think they need to add some veterans in the offseason via free agency, but I think they need to make sure they sign the right kind of veterans and this upcoming free agent class sucks. Most of the guys I would like them to target shouldn't be very expensive (Tyus Jones, DeAnthony Melton, Olynyk, etc), so I think they should look into potentially taking on a year of bad salary for the 2024/2025 season from a team with cap issues in exchange for draft compensation.

I think they should be weary of taking on any bad money that goes past 2025 and they need to save some space for this offseason to sign some role players, but I think they can delay trying to make a big splash for another year. Being bad next season and staying in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes is good and they don't really have a reasonable path to make a one year turnaround anyways. They should have been doing this kind of stuff during LaMelo's first couple years, but they didn't and are now backed into a corner a bit and don't really have much time left to screw around, but I think they have one more year left where it will be tolerable for them to be bad and the target should be to be competitive by the 2025/2026 season.

Also I still want them to try to trade Miles to avoid paying him this offseason, which is relevant to this upcoming free agency.

Klay Thompson would be a good vet to add just not sure he is affordable. No way would I overpay for him either.

Klay for 25mil a year seems fair. Maybe Bridges takes the other 25mil as a discount.

Melo/Klay/Miller/Bridges/Mark and a top 5 pick sounds promising to build with.

[JMAC3]

I don't see the point of having Mitch sell Bridges for 10 cents on the dollar. Let the new GM have the option to resign or let him walk.

[wilson115]

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[JDR720]

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[JustBuzzin]

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LMAO he's about to do something stupid before we fire him.


I'm expecting Ben Simmons or Zach Lavine now.

[NCHeels2008]

I hope there is a Memphis deal for PJ, they could use him for next season once they have their guys back

[Bassman]

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LMAO he's about to do something stupid before we fire him.


I'm expecting Ben Simmons or Zach Lavine now.

As I’ve said…wish he had been fired weeks ago. Name me any business or organization that allows these types of critical, long term decisions to be made by a short timer? NONE. You either fire that person or hire his replacement to make those calls while allowing the titleholder to keep his chair till retirement but with no pen (can’t approve or authorize decisions).

[JDR720]

It depends on what the long term salary is and if those players can be useful.

[JustBuzzin]

It depends on what the long term salary is and if those players can be useful.

Exactly this!

Please just don't take any bad contract just because of a few picks. That player needs to fit. Im tired of getting players like Batum/Hayward and they aren't helping us win games despite being on huge contracts. Just defeats the purpose of trading if you only going to repeat the same mistakes.

[yosemiteben]

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LMAO he's about to do something stupid before we fire him.


I'm expecting Ben Simmons or Zach Lavine now.

Isn't this what everyone praised OKC for doing - creative use of cap space to collect assets? I don't understand criticizing a strategic move made to collect assets.

[JustBuzzin]

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LMAO he's about to do something stupid before we fire him.


I'm expecting Ben Simmons or Zach Lavine now.

Isn't this what everyone praised OKC for doing - creative use of cap space to collect assets? I don't understand criticizing a strategic move made to collect assets.

I'm all for assets, but im also really high on our current core. I feel playoffs are closer than people think. Really feeling good about us moving forward with Melo/Miller. If we can get a useful player back sure by all means take on that contract. But just don't take on anyone. Ben Simmons can't help us. Those picks are great, but sitting on his salary would just be wasting a ton of money.

I just want to be back in the playoffs man. I miss that atmosphere. Charlotte needs their playoffs teams back. Tired of supporting 2 bad franchises Panthers/Hornets. We just need to get back to being competitive.

[Trey24]

I don't think Kyle Lowry ever puts on a Hornets Uniform and Kupchak seemingly confirmed my suspicions.

[MasterIchiro]

I have a feeling that Richards and maybe even PJ may want to start packing.

My bet is Richards and Cody Martin, otherwise you're selling low on PJ which isn't happening given the uncertainties with Miles - a truly delicate situation that requires a strong hedge.

[luciano-davidwesley]

I think they need to add some veterans in the offseason via free agency, but I think they need to make sure they sign the right kind of veterans and this upcoming free agent class sucks. Most of the guys I would like them to target shouldn't be very expensive (Tyus Jones, DeAnthony Melton, Olynyk, etc), so I think they should look into potentially taking on a year of bad salary for the 2024/2025 season from a team with cap issues in exchange for draft compensation.

I think they should be weary of taking on any bad money that goes past 2025 and they need to save some space for this offseason to sign some role players, but I think they can delay trying to make a big splash for another year. Being bad next season and staying in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes is good and they don't really have a reasonable path to make a one year turnaround anyways. They should have been doing this kind of stuff during LaMelo's first couple years, but they didn't and are now backed into a corner a bit and don't really have much time left to screw around, but I think they have one more year left where it will be tolerable for them to be bad and the target should be to be competitive by the 2025/2026 season.

Also I still want them to try to trade Miles to avoid paying him this offseason, which is relevant to this upcoming free agency.

You've pretty much nailed everything here. Everyone with half a brain knew how the Hayward situation was going to play out the moment the ink dried on that contract. He won us a few extra games in the 2020/21 season before he inevitably got injured too which lead us to be picking at #11 in 2021 (anyone care to remember who we picked here?) instead of a potential top 5 pick if we tanked.

So signing Hayward resulted in the awful Batum stretch for three years, Haywards awful waste of cap space (and Batum's stretch) that could have been spent on either decent, non-constantly injured free agents or cap dumps for picks. We also would have likely been picking from Cunningham, Green, Mobley, Barnes, Suggs, Giddey, Kuminga and Wagner with more ping pong balls and lower seeding instead of the bum that fell to us at pick 11.

What a disasterous signing Hayward has been in hindsight and is pretty much an immediate Kupchak fireable offense.

TL;DR

Signing Hayward caused our rebuild a massive amount of delay and pain.

[Diop]

If Brooklyn wants to give us a 1st or two to take on Simmons, I’m for it

Then Ben and mark can sit around and complain about their bad backs like the grumpy old men in the muppets

[Rich4114]

If Brooklyn wants to give us a 1st or two to take on Simmons, I’m for it

Then Ben and mark can sit around and complain about their bad backs like the grumpy old men in the muppets

I’m intrigued by the Brooklyn situation. They’re in treadmill land.

[JMAC3]

If Brooklyn wants to give us a 1st or two to take on Simmons, I’m for it

Then Ben and mark can sit around and complain about their bad backs like the grumpy old men in the muppets

Idk if I am really looking to pay 60 million over the next year and half for 15 games of Ben Simmons regardless if that is for a first round pick. That is a lot of cash.

I would rather just try signing a few guys in FA and hope that they surprise, potentially you can flip them for firsts later and avoid the headache.

[Robot Rock]

If Brooklyn wants to give us a 1st or two to take on Simmons, I’m for it

Then Ben and mark can sit around and complain about their bad backs like the grumpy old men in the muppets

Idk if I am really looking to pay 60 million over the next year and half for 15 games of Ben Simmons regardless if that is for a first round pick. That is a lot of cash.

I would rather just try signing a few guys in FA and hope that they surprise, potentially you can flip them for firsts later and avoid the headache.

That makes sense, which is why Mitch won't do it. Another reason he won't do it is it requires him to work in June, July and part of August, which is in the middle of when he usually takes his 20-week vacation from all things Hornets.

[LofJ]

This year's free agent class is weak on star players, but they aren't signing here anyway so who cares.

However, there are a ton of quality guards that will be free agents this summer. Fultz, Monk, Melton, Hield, Harris, Wright, DSJ, McConnell, Trent, Beasley, and possibly Bruce Brown will all be unrestricted free agents. Kyle Anderson is also another guy that could really help us, you can never have too many high IQ guys like him.

Mitch sucks in free agency, but damn even he should be able to reel in at least one of those guys.

[JustBuzzin]

This year's free agent class is weak on star players, but they aren't signing here anyway so who cares.

However, there are a ton of quality guards that will be free agents this summer. Fultz, Monk, Melton, Hield, Harris, Wright, DSJ, McConnell, Trent, Beasley, and possibly Bruce Brown will all be unrestricted free agents. Kyle Anderson is also another guy that could really help us, you can never have too many high IQ guys like him.

Mitch sucks in free agency, but damn even he should be able to reel in at least one of those guys.

Klay Thompson would be a good fit "if" he comes on a realistic team friendly deal. Something like 25mil a year and he could help with the culture. He can still shoot if nothing else.

Other than that we probably would be best just bringing back Bridges as he is likely the best FA available.