![]() But almost every indication points toward Wiseman or supreme athlete Anthony Edwards being the Warriors’ ideal choice.īeing able to pick up a veteran player and slide a few spots down in the first round might be more enticing for a team trying to extend its championship window with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green now all on the wrong side of 30. Onyeka Okongwu out of USC is another big man who recently has shot up draft boards, and offers a stronger defensive skillset right away, which the Warriors might desire more given their expectation of competing for a championship next year. With such a lengthy offseason due to not being invited to the NBA bubble in Orlando, Golden State’s front office has had ample time to focus on scouting and researching players, and reportedly have met with and looked into several prospects projected to go later in the lottery or even further back. The Warriors have been linked to numerous trade scenarios, and missing out on Wiseman could push general manager Bob Myers to strongly consider offers from teams lower in the lottery. RELATED: Would trade for Nets' Dinwiddie make sense as Warriors reload? Minnesota is set at the center position with All-NBA big man Karl-Anthony Towns, and likely will be looking at other positions in the lottery. That alone is reason to have Charlotte as a probable landing spot.Charlotte could be looking to rebuild their team around Wiseman and the flurry of young former high draft picks on the Hornets’ roster. There is a not unlikely chance that Charlotte lands Ball without needing to even trade up. His pass-first mindset would be a perfect fit for what Borrego is trying to accomplish. ![]() Ball could come in and be a playmaker in the offense without needing to score.Ĭharlotte head coach James Borrego also recently discussed Ball’s fit within the Hornets’ offense. Both Rozier and Graham were high-volume scorers last season. In many ways, having guards ahead of Ball could help lighten some of the burden on Ball, particularly as a scorer. Add in Ball, who spent time last season playing alongside point guard Aaron Brooks and all three have shown the versatility to play on and off the ball. Rozier, meanwhile, did spend the near entirety of his time last season as a point guard but had experience in Boston playing as a two-guard. Rozier’s arrival changed Graham’s role, yet he still flourished. Last season, Graham spent 61% of his minutes as a shooting guard after spending 60% of his minutes at point guard the year prior. However, all three of the players are versatile enough to play on and off the ball. Under the assumption the Hornets don’t move one of Graham or Rozier to land Ball, the backcourt is crowded. If it all adds up to Ball landing in Charlotte, it would be a huge boost for a franchise that has been stuck in mediocrity and irrelevancy for the better part of the last decade. Minnesota could view one of them as a better fit next to D’Angelo Russell than Ball while Golden State could view them as the type of win-now players they desire. The latter has established himself as a rotational guard in the league while the former was a Most Improved Player contender this season. There also is the possibility the team could move up to secure Ball while using one of Graham or Rozier as trade bait. In that situation, the Hornets could be in prime position for Ball without having to give up assets. The Timberwolves could draft Anthony Edwards and the Warriors could either not find a trade partner and draft someone that isn’t Ball or find a trade partner that moves up for James Wiseman or another non-Ball prospect. Unlike basically every other team profiled, there’s a realistic scenario in which the Hornets can land Ball without needing to trade up. Though the team doesn’t have a need for a guard with both Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier on the roster, they do have a need for a player that will bring notoriety to the franchise, which Ball would do. One of the luckiest teams in the draft lottery was the Charlotte Hornets, who jumped five spots into the top three and into the conversation for LaMelo Ball. What’s the outlook of the team, how does Ball fit into their roster and plans and what’s the likelihood of him landing with the franchise? We continue our profiles with the Charlotte Hornets. With the date for the 2020 NBA Draft set, we begin our look at each team in the lottery relative to LaMelo Ball.
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