A quiet trade deadline move that could make sense for the Charlotte Hornets

Of the 19 players that Head Coach Charles Lee has given minutes to so far this season, only one ranks in the top sixty in DPM. Daily Plus-Minus, or DPM, is a metric that acts as a smarter plus-minus, but helps filter out the noise. The metric combines everything from box scores, on/off data, tracking, and past performances to help determine a player's true talent level.

That one Charlote Hornets' player is LaMelo Ball, who sits at 40. The team only has two other players in the top 100, which are Kon Knueppel (87) and Moussa Diabate (91).

Tidjane Salaün is 506th in the NBA. When looking at the Hornets roster prior to the NBA trade deadline, it's clear that the Hornets need someone who plays a role similar to Salaün's: a four, who can play the five, with good paint defense, rebounding, and the ability to hit threes at a consistent level.

Tidjane has given the Hornets that in spurts, but he still is likely a year away from being a consistent rotation piece for the Buzz. Finding a stretch four with good defense who can be impactful off the bench seems significantly easier said than done.

Except it isn't.

Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith ranks 54th in the entire league in DPM and may be one of the most overlooked players that likely will be available. Three weeks out from the trade deadline, Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu have dominated trade rumors with the Bulls, but Smith quietly may be the best of the bunch.

In his 578 minutes on the court this season, the former Terrapin has a +6.5 net rating. In his 1,242 minutes off the court, the Bulls have a -7.7 net rating. That's a +14.2 point on/off differential. Chicago rebounds better offensively, turns the ball over less, shoots more efficiently, and forces opponents into worse shooting and rebounding outcomes when Smith plays.

Individually, Smith is a high-level defender and rebounder. He ranks in the 60th percentile or better in shots allowed at the rim, loose balls recovered, offensive fouls drawn, blocks/per 100 (83%), stop percentage, and sits in the 96th percentile of defensive rebound percentage. He averages 17.9 points and 12.7 rebounds per 75 possessions, despite playing just 18.2 minutes per game. He's not a high-usage player either, on-ball only 8% of the time, but his teammates have a 92.5 effective field goal percentage on his assists.

He's also an elite offensive rebounder, in the 88th percentile of rebounding his own miss, and the 95th percentile of grabbing his teammate's miss.

Smith is only 25 years old, which fits the Hornets' timeline perfectly. He likely will not cost much at the deadline, as he's not perceived as a future star. His impact helps suggest something more valuable for Charlotte: a low-usage, high-leverage frontcourt piece who raises lineup floors on both ends.

The seven year veteran stabilizes the role that Charles Lee is looking to use Tidjane in right now, and allows him to continue to grow in Greensboro for more time this season. His true talent level exceeds where most NBA fans believe him to be, and he is the exact player that can help move the needle for the Hornets right now.

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