Source: Charlotte Observer / Getty
We are officially less than two weeks away from the 2023 NBA Draft, and while the Hornets are still doing their homework on who to take at #2, they have plenty of things that need to be addressed shortly after the Draft as well. With the Hornets being a small market franchise, they operate in a manner that not many people have any insight into what’s going on inside that building. One of the few people who have an inside track on what’s going on, is Jake Fischer, from Yahoo! Sports, and he joined the Wes & Walker Show on WFNZ to talk about the many things on the Hornets’ to-do list this summer.
Fischer started off by talking about the chances the Hornets make a move using the #2 pick, and he responded by saying “If they are really set on going big fish hunting, and who they could get, the call has to be New Orleans and see if they are willing to listen on Zion Williamson”. Of course, Zion is in the news for different reasons right now, but this is the type of move that Charlotte has been reluctant to make ever since they came back as a franchise in the mid-2000s. Zion would be a fun pair with LaMelo Ball, and Spectrum Center would be sold out virtually every night. Given Zion’s issues in terms of staying healthy, combined with him already having signed a rookie max contract, this is a long shot and doesn’t seem all that feasible when looking back on Mitch Kupchak’s track record.
Charlotte has a decision to make about PJ Washington, who has been up and down during his time with the Hornets. While Charlotte is heavily interested in bringing him back, Fischer did note that Miami is a team to look out for this summer, as a team that might be interested in his talent. With what Caleb Martin is doing with Miami, helping them reach the NBA Finals, it would be another hard pill to swallow, if Washington were to leave for South Beach and become a better all-around basketball player.
The future of Miles Bridges is still up in the air, but Fischer did say that he expects Bridges to be back in Charlotte, “I do expect him to be back. I think they’ll give him a legitimate second contract, but it’s not going to be close to the maximum contract he was coveting this time last year'”. It’s going to be a difficult sell seeing Bridges back on a basketball court, but giving him a significant second contract would make an even bad situation, even worse, from a PR perspective. The Bridges situation is the biggest reason that Fischer believes that Charlotte won’t be interested in drafting Brandon Miller.
Lastly, it appears that Michael Jordan’s days as the owner are coming to an end, especially after Jordan expressed interest in selling his take back in March, and Fischer expects noise around that to pick up as we get closer to the draft. As hard as it will be to see Jordan sell, Hornet fans are desperate for an active owner, and one that is willing to go all in on building a consistent winner that the city deserves.
You can catch the Wes & Walker Show, every weekday from 12-3 PM.
