Charlotte Hornets listed as possible Zach LaVine trade destination

This is not the start to the NBA season that the Charlotte Hornets were looking for.

Early injuries have killed any momentum that this team thought they had built from the preseason, although LaMelo Ball is finally back on the court.

Brandon Miller's imminent return to the court should help stem the tide of borderline uncontrollable losing, but that might not be enough. One NBA pundit believes Zach LaVine might be able to help them out.

Hornets listed as a possible trade destination for Zach LaVine

According to Sports Illustrated's Blake Silverman, the Hornets would be smart to look into acquiring LaVine. He lists the following trade proposal:

Hornets receive: Zach LaVine, Devin Carter, 2026 second-round pick (Charlotte’s own pick back)
Kings receive: Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Grant Williams

Charlotte wouldn't have to give up any starters in this deal, really only losing Sexton as a reliable contributor. In return, they get a proven scorer in LaVine.

The Hornets have a middling offense, sitting at 17th in offensive rating. LaVine is liable to pour in 30 on any given night, which would certainly be valuable.

Unfortunately, adding Lavine wouldn't address Charlotte's biggest issue. They can't stop anyone from scoring, owning a bottom-seven defense in the league. LaVine would only make that worse.

The Hornets should not look to trade for Zach LaVine

Not only is LaVine a horrible defender, but he is a severe injury risk. The last thing this Hornets team needs is another player who has a history of missing a ton of games.

They would be better off not eating a gargantuan contract for someone who is a turnstile. Keeping Sexton and letting Kon Knueppel develop into a potential All-Star talent while playing through mistakes is preferable in this scenario.

It seems abundantly clear that Charlotte is not ready to compete for a playoff spot this season. They don't even seem ready to make the play-in, a true gut-punch for a team desperate to play meaningful games at the end of the year.

Keeping Ball and Miller in bubble wrap everywhere they go could be the plan that best executes the desires of the franchise moving forward.

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