One surprising (but realistic) idea to accelerate the Hornets' rebuild

The Charlotte Hornets are slowly rebuilding, and it seems to be working so far. They now have a stockpile of draft picks and young players. There is something they can do to speed that up, though, and that's dipping into that stockpile to swing a trade. Fortunately, there's a surprising but totally realistic option that brings in an impact player: Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Trayce Jackson-Davis mock trade gives Hornets what they need

Apr 9, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) passes against Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson (0) during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

You might be thinking that Trayce Jackson-Davis is far from an impact player, and that he's not a crazy player to add that will dramatically shift the Hornets' roster forward. However, among qualified power forwards, the Golden State Warriors' big man was 19th in player efficiency rating in the entire NBA.

For reference, Moussa Diabate was 31st and Brandon Miller was 46th on that list. Miles Bridges was not in the top 50, and Tidjane Salaun was just downright bad last year. Power forward is a huge need right now, maybe more so than center, especially without someone like Ryan Kalkbrenner to eventually be the young foundation.

And Jackson-Davis was just good and is only 25. He fits the timeline, more or less, while adding a quietly very good player to a position of need. He also stands two inches taller than Bridges and an inch above Salaun.

Jackson's per-40 averages were good, too, and despite having Steph Curry, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, and others above him in the offensive hierarchy. He averaged 16.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per 40 minutes with a 58.7 true shooting percentage.

Fortunately, and this is the realistic part, Jackson-Davis is not all that costly to acquire. The Hornets can send Nick Smith Jr. and three second-round picks (2026 via Golden State, 2027 via New Orleans, and 2028 via Charlotte) to the Warriors for the big man.

Trayce Jackson-Davis — NBA Mock Trade | Spotrac

This gives the Warriors a clearer roster spot to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga and a young player who probably needs a change of scenery. It won't hurt for a young guard to play with Steph Curry. It also gives them three second-round picks, which is valuable since they have only one left to make trades with.

The Hornets get a young player at a position of need that elevates the position and provides them with positional flexibility. Miles Bridges can spend time at the three or four. Brandon Miller can play the two, three, or four as well. It works for both teams and immediately speeds up the rebuild in Charlotte.

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