Whether or Not the Hornets Could and Should've Matched 76ers' Offer for Jaylen Brown

In the wake of the LaMelo Ball trade, Charlotte Hornets fans immediately began to hope that a bigger move to replace the superstar they'd lost was in the works. Jaylen Brown's name came up, and it was reported that the Hornets and Boston Celtics had discussed it.

Those talks cooled, and Charlotte was out of the running (of their own accord) long before Brown was shockingly sent to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-rounders, and two pick swaps. It was an underwhelming return, to say the least.

Naturally, it prompts the question: Could the Hornets have matched? Maybe, and we'll take a look at that down below. But the better question is: should the Hornets have matched for Brown?

The Hornets could have matched that asking price. They've stockpiled two more first-round picks and three pick swaps this offseason alone, so adding Brown wouldn't have totally depleted their stash.

The issue is financial. The Hornets don't have a Paul George-esque bad contract on the books, so they'd have had to part with more players. And if you look at Charlotte's books, there's no easy way to match.

Brown's incoming salary would've been $57.1 million. The Hornets can't use their trade exception here, and they don't have a massive contract on the books with LaMelo Ball gone.

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

They would likely have had to part with a young star in Brandon Miller just to help appease the financial restrictions. Remember, Miles Bridges is off the books, too, and he was the second-biggest contract. Josh Green, the fourth-highest, is also gone.

Grant Williams, Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, and Tidjane Salaün work out financially, but that's way too many players to give up for just one player in return. The depth would be gone, and Miller and Salaün are key pieces of the future.

If we could go back in time, the contracts of Bridges, Green, and Williams match up with Brown, but that's not possible now. So, yes, the Hornets could have matched, but it wouldn't have been as easy as it was for the 76ers.

Should they have tried? I don't think so. Brown is a good player, but the Boston Celtics were actually 5.6 points worse with him on the floor than off last year. And you have to go back to 2021-22 to find the last time he had a positive on/off rating. He's only been positive in three out of 10 seasons.

Brown is very talented, but he might not be as impactful as he seems. Plus, he's not a good fit for the Hornets. In the wake of the Ball trade, Charlotte needed a facilitator, and Brown's not that. The wing is pretty loaded with Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, so Brown wouldn't have fit.

Technically, the Hornets could have matched Philly's offer, but it's a good thing they didn't.

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