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The Charlotte Hornets are aware that the Russell Westbrook business rumor has been running around ever since the Houston Rockets guard said he wanted to leave H-Town.
While teams from big markets like the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks would be the trailblazers to trade for the former NBA MVP, there is a team of black horses in the Eastern Conference that actually has the trump cards for it. absorb Westbrook’s massive contract.
Enter the Charlotte Hornets, who would have tossed their hats in the ring for the 9-time All-Star. The Queen’s City might not look quite the same as Hollywood or the Big Apple, but it does give players a chance to mingle with legendary team owner Michael Jordan. Russ had no doubts about the opportunity to play for GOAT himself.
Charlotte has been on the hunt for this guy since Kemba Walker moved to Beantown in 2019. The addition of Westbrook could bring the buzz back to the nest. The 6-foot-3 dynamo had 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals in what could be a one-time career with Houston.
Westbrook would like to return to a style of play similar to what he had with Oklahoma City. Since Kevin Durant left, Russ had the ball in his hands for the majority of the goods and did pretty much whatever he wanted. He may have the same situation if he joins Charlotte’s team, starving for talent.
In reality, the Hornets don’t really have an eternal All-Star they could use as a bargaining chip for Westbrook’s prowess. What they have is a considerable cap room, several promising players and future draft picks they could offer as a package.
The Hornets currently only have $ 79 million pledged for next season. Additionally, more All-Stars could be prompted to join Charlotte for a chance to team up with the Electrifying Guard.
Westbrook owes a lot of money over the next three seasons (around $ 131 million) and Charlotte’s best bet to match that is to center a deal involving Nicolas Batum. Either way, the Frenchman never really lived up to that big five-year, $ 120 million contract. Batum also adapts perfectly to Houston’s system as a usable 3 and D guy who can play multiple positions.
The 6-foot-9 swingman is expected to exercise his $ 27.13 million player option during the 2020-2021 season, making him the key to a possible deal with Westbrook. The trickier part, however, is finding the right pieces to add to a Batum package that would make the Rockets turn their disgruntled guard.
Let’s take a look at two successful trading options the Hornets can offer the Rockets for Russell Westbrook.
Hornets Option 1: Nicolas Batum, Devonte Graham, Malik Monk and No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft
Ideally, the Hornets would want to keep guys like Devonte ‘Graham, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington and Malik Monk just so Russ can have a nice supporting cast. Unfortunately, that probably won’t be the case and Charlotte will be forced to part ways with one or two of their young stallions.
The Rockets would likely be looking for several early players for Westbrook’s serves. However, Charlotte can still save her future if she simply gives up her third selection for the 2020 Draft, along with a pair of talented guards who would take Russ’ place. This year’s class isn’t quite as star-studded anyway, so the Hornets might as well get an established All-Star instead.
Houston, on the other hand, would love to have a nice young play for the future and choose from Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Onyeko Okongwu, or whoever falls into their knees at No.3.
Losing Graham would definitely sting, especially after this 2019-20 breakout campaign. Malik Monk is another project they were hoping to develop, but it might be time to let him go if it ensures Westbrook joins the team. These two guards will quickly fill the void left by Westbrook.
The Hornets brass, however, need to strike quickly for this to materialize, as the draft is set for November 18. It would certainly be one of the biggest Draft Day trades of all time if the Hornets could pull it off.
Option 2: Cody Zeller, Terry Rozier, No. 3 pick in 2020 draft and 2021 second round pick
Again, the third overall pick is the Hornets’ most valuable business asset, as the Rockets won’t have to wait long to secure a promising lottery pick that they could team up with James Harden with.
In the event that the Rockets no longer want to be a part of Batum, they could get another expiring Hornets contract to Cody Zeller. While the traditional fat doesn’t exactly fit into the H-Town scheme, Zeller would likely only be a nice one-year hire for the team.
That’s an additional cap of $ 15.4 million that they could use to find a significant free agent in the stacked class next year.
Creepy Terry, meanwhile, made big numbers when given a starring role in Charlotte. He had 18 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his first year as the Hornet. Obviously, these aren’t numbers like Westbrook’s, but his addition should somehow soften the blow of losing Westbrook’s full game. Plus, he’s only expected to make $ 19 million next season, which shouldn’t put too much pressure on the Rockets’ cap.
The Hornets have a guaranteed second round in 2021 that they received from the Brooklyn Nets. They could use this asset to further sweeten the pot.
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