How could the Hornets mirror the Panthers' drafting Tetairoa McMillan?

The Charlotte Hornets will draft a prospect in the coming weeks. Before that, they'll learn their ultimate fate in the lottery. That is when they'll know if they can pick Cooper Flagg or not, and they'll learn just how lucky or unlucky they really are.

That will determine who they pick. If they get the first pick, it'll be Flagg no matter what. If they don't, though, then they can do any number of things. That includes ignoring the biggest needs on the roster for a player they like, sort of like what the Carolina Panthers just did.

They drafted Tetairoa McMillan, a wide receiver. They needed that position, but it was not a glaring need. How might the Hornets mirror that draft plan? It is a little bit harder to make the comparison because an NFL team carries six or seven wide receivers, whereas an NBA team has a roster maximum of 15 players.

Still, it's possible, and it likely looks like a Khaman Maluach pick. The center out of Duke is considered a top-six prospect and one that NBA teams would be fortunate to have, but he's not really a need for Charlotte right now.

They have Mark Williams, ironically also a former Duke center, and Jusuf Nurkic at the five spot. The Hornets also like to get Moussa Diabate some minutes there, too. Grant Williams, when he returns healthy, will play some there, too. They have too many centers as it is, so adding another and passing over another more glaring need would be like the Panthers taking McMillan.

Of course, the Hornets could draft Maluach and trade Williams, Nurkic, or both. That's certainly doable, but the draft selection kind of hamstrings them and forces them to do that. The selection of Maluach would also forego the need for another guard or a power forward.

The shooting guard (or small forward) spot is up for grabs in Charlotte, and with Miles Bridges not having the most secure future with the Hornets, power forward would make a lot of sense, too. Even another point guard to play with/behind/in place of (in the event of a trade) LaMelo Ball would be smart.

Center is just the one position they don't really need to pick right now, so Maluach or even Derik Queen would be a nice, solid addition to the roster, but at a position they don't necessarily need to address immediately.

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