What do the Charlotte Hornets need to do this offseason to keep improving in the East? And can they attract key free agents (like Dwight Howard)?
Our NBA Insiders go 5-on-5 on the future of the Hornets.
1. What do you foresee and advise for the Hornets this offseason?
Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Bring the band back together. And that means paying the max (or close to it) to retain Nicolas Batum, who is an unrestricted free agent, and paying up for Marvin Williams, who will eat up their cap space. Batum was damaged goods in the Heat series, but that may end up helping drive his price down. If Batum flees, I'd chase Dwight Howard as a Plan B.
Amin Elhassan: ESPN Insider: Retaining your free agents sounds boring, but it's essential in Charlotte's case. The Hornets were able to build something this season, and losing those players, even if they're able to replace them with reasonable facsimiles, would constitute a step backward. Beyond that, I'd like to see them make a move to add an athletic defensive center.
Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Run it back. Hornets general manager Rich Cho has created a positive, supportive work-place environment, and though he gambled some on short-term deals, he targeted players who would fit their culture and small market. Though they are a few winning seasons and a superstar -- i.e., the important stuff -- away from becoming Spurs East, with coach Steve Clifford at the helm, the seeds are there for an upper-middle-class version.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: Patience. The top priority should be establishing some continuity. That initiative begins with keeping Batum, who is a terrific complement on the perimeter for Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Beyond that, I'm trying to keep the core together, while improving on the margins. Charlotte can keep improving via the draft and player development, and if a home-run trade scenario emerges, so be it.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: Everything hinges on Batum. If he re-signs I'd expect the Hornets to bring back a relatively similar group, with the biggest remaining question marks being whether Al Jefferson comes back at a lower salary and whether Jeremy Lin gets a bigger offer than Charlotte can match or beat using the mid-level exception. It's hard to find a better alternative than that. If Batum goes elsewhere, I could see the Hornets trying to replace his wing playmaking by going after a restricted free agent like Evan Fournier.
2. What is the ideal Hornets frontcourt of the future?
Haberstroh: Marvin Williams and Dwight Howard. Kaminsky and Zeller are solid backups, but not starter material if the Hornets want to contend in the East. Howard obviously is no spring chicken, but buying low on a presence like Howard is a must for a market like Charlotte.
Elhassan: While I was alluding above to more of a Festus Ezeli type at center, I would not be opposed to a Dwight Howard/Marvin Williams combo up front for the Hornets. People will dwell on Howard's negative aspects from the past couple of stops, but I think Charlotte has the culture and the coaching to make him feel appreciated while properly using his talents.
Verrier: Their base look -- Williams at 4, Zeller at the 5 -- works. Zeller, with his aw-shucks demeanor, may not be the sexiest option, but his screen-setting, improving midrange game and physical defense allowed the Hornets to bomb away at the league's fourth-highest rate.
Clifford can adjust, as evidenced by the retro look when Al Jefferson plays, but the Hornets should add more options with range, speed and passing, not limit themselves with a high-priced, older and often injured star like Dwight Howard.
Doolittle: The pieces are mostly there for Charlotte, though this is the area to upgrade if Charlotte has a shot at a star. Assuming continued improvement, I like a starting duo of Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky. As he gets into his 30s, Jefferson can be a valuable bench anchor. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams mix into different kinds of lineups as well.
Pelton: I think it's Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller. While I'm intrigued by Dwight Howard's potential as a rim protector in Charlotte, that's only realistic if the Hornets let Batum walk, which would be a much bigger downgrade. Williams and Zeller are good enough -- the Hornets outscored opponents by 3.7 points per 100 possessions when they played together this season, per NBA.com/Stats -- not to need upgrading.
3. Nicolas Batum, Al Jefferson, Courtney Lee, Jeremy Lin and Marvin Williams will be free agents. How should Charlotte prioritize them?
Haberstroh: I'd go Batum, Williams, Lin, Lee and then Jefferson. Batum is still 27 years old, and he blossomed underneath Clifford's guidance. Williams may be the most underrated starter in the league, seeing as he ranked top-30 in real plus-minus this season. Jefferson worries me in the modern-day NBA, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist makes Lee a bit redundant.
Elhassan: Batum, Lee, Williams, Lin, Jefferson, in that order. Batum has allowed them to play the way they want with his versatility. Lee is in the demo that everyone wants nowadays: 3-and-D player, with the added benefit of being able to create a bit off the dribble. Williams is something of a poor man's combo of Batum and Lee.
Lin is a nice counterbalance to Walker, and the fact that he can either play alongside him or come off the bench without any hit to his ego is more crucial than one might assume. Jefferson has value as a post scorer, but the cost to retain him versus the amount he'll be needed makes bringing him back anything but a foregone conclusion.
Verrier: Batum and Williams are musts. Clifford gushes over Batum's ball movement and versatility -- skills almost every team will be thirsty for this offseason -- and Williams is an important locker-room voice whose shooting and defense at small-ball power forward keyed Charlotte's regular-season success. I'd let the market, and the Hornets' cap sheet, dictate the rest.
Doolittle: Batum, Williams, Jefferson, Lin, Lee. The caveats here: I wouldn't overpay Jefferson, who is unlikely to be a 30-minute player going forward; and while Lin adds a nice dimension, you can't pay him like a starter. I'm surprised to feel so strongly about Williams, but his versatility and fit are important.
Pelton: Batum is without question the No. 1 priority. His versatility can't be replaced by any one player on the roster, as was obvious when he was hobbled against Miami. Next would be Williams, who thrived at power forward and gave Steve Clifford options with his ability to swing to small forward. After that, I'd go either Lee -- whose importance is minimized a bit by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's return -- or Lin, which leaves Jefferson as the lowest priority.
4. From 0 to 10, how desirable a destination will Charlotte be for players in the near future?
Haberstroh: 5. With all due respect to Kemba Walker, the Hornets don't have a superstar that draws free agents, nor do they have a glamorous city to flaunt. It kind of reminds me of Memphis, where the Grizzlies have to build from within despite all the winning over the years.
Elhassan: 5? I think Charlotte gets a bad rap. It's a family-friendly city that is ideally located in the Southeast (a reasonable flight's distance from Atlanta, Washington, Miami, etc.).
As an organization, they've made great strides in the past couple of seasons to adopt a good style of play, empowering a very competent coach and scouting and acquiring players that help move the program forward. The winning they've experienced should make it more attractive, but Charlotte's in the same boat as many other NBA cities in that it always has to prove its worth to free agents.
Verrier: 6. Cam Newton has the Panthers surging, the Hornets are winning, the city swells with pride for native son Steph Curry and an influx of banking money has turned the downtown area into "New South" catnip for millennials. But that's still a long way from the sizzle of, say, Miami, where you can look over the stands in Round 1 and pick out players like Rudy Gobert, Marco Belinelli and so on.
Doolittle: 4, if we're referring to players outside the nice organizational culture that's been established by Steve Clifford. But 4 with a bullet. The Hornets aren't established on their current level yet -- they won 33 games last season. A year from now, if they get their win total into the 50s, the Hornets could be positioned for a splash.
Pelton: Maybe a 4 or a 5? We might not find out because if the Hornets re-sign Batum, they're not likely to have major cap space in the foreseeable future -- although Batum returning would reflect on the organization in its own right.
5. Which of these is most true?
A. Hornets have a 50-win season in their near future.
B. Hornets will remain a mid-seed East playoff team.
C. We've just seen "peak Hornets" and the future is murky.
Haberstroh: B. I love what Steve Clifford has done this season, but I worry about their ability to keep Batum in the Queen City and whether Williams' contract year makes it prohibitive for their budget. If they bring everyone back, I could see a 50-win team next season. If they don't, this organization may have plateaued.
Elhassan: B, which is not to say they can't break the 50-win threshold. Regardless of what happens to them in free agency, they're on the right path in terms of style of play, coaching and front office operation. We'll see Charlotte hover between third and sixth for the next couple of seasons.
Verrier: A. All hail Clifford, whose fine work showed in the Hornets' details -- specifically, a top-ranked turnover ratio and a top-10 defense -- long before he had the offensive firepower to balance it. They likely won't have the means to draw the most elite players, making title contention a long shot. But the East, as currently constructed, is ripe for the picking.
Doolittle: A. There's a lot to like here. Charlotte could be a team that gets stuck on the second tier, certainly. But given a healthy year for MKG and some good luck this summer keeping the core intact, this is a 50-win team.
Pelton: All depends on Batum. If he comes back, I think A is the answer. Remember, the Hornets are getting Kidd-Gilchrist back, which is bigger than most additions they could make via free agency or trades. In the 161 minutes Batum played with Kidd-Gilchrist, an admittedly tiny sample size, Charlotte was plus-12.4 points per 100 possessions. But if Batum leaves, I see C as more likely than B, given the loss of playmaking versatility.