Hornets May Have No Choice But to Trade Up for Morez Johnson

Many names have been linked to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 14, but the one name that continues to pop up everywhere you look is Morez Johnson Jr., the 6'9", 255-pound forward from Michigan.

He checks a lot of boxes for the Hornets in that he brings a much-needed toughness, physicality, and paint presence, while also having the ability to score it at a 62% clip.

There's just one problem. Johnson making it to 14 is starting to feel extremely unlikely. Several teams ahead of the Hornets, such as Golden State, Dallas, Milwaukee, Miami, and Oklahoma City, could be potential landing spots, but there's also a chance that someone behind Charlotte makes a move up to take him.

The Hornets like several players in this draft, so it's not going to be a Morez Johnson or bust type of night for them. But if he is the top guy on their big board, it's likely going to require Jeff Peterson to make a bunch of calls to move up to go get him. For a player that's garnering this much interest, you can't afford to sit back and hope things fall your way.

That's where the luxury of having the 18th overall pick comes into play. The Hornets can package 14 and 18 to jump inside the top 10, while also having three first-round selections in 2027 that they can use if the team moving down would rather have one pick in next year's draft. When it comes to assets, the Hornets have everything they need to strike a deal. It's just going to come down to how badly Peterson wants Johnson, or maybe it's another prospect that they want to go up for.

Why the Hornets don't need two first-round picks

Apr 2, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

You only have 15 true roster spots to work with. Assuming the Hornets bring back Coby White, they would have 12 players on standard contracts. There's even the possibility of Charlotte potentially wanting to bring back Pat Connaughton for another year for depth and to be that veteran presence in the locker room. If that happens, you're at 13 and really, 14, knowing you're taking at least one guy in the first round. The Hornets know they can't sit idle in free agency, so there's going to be another veteran added to the roster at some point this summer, and perhaps it's done via trade. Charlotte can take two rookies, but to truly put this team in the best position to win in 2026-27, trading the 18th pick makes a ton of sense.

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