Which NBA Teams Could the Charlotte Hornets Even Trade Up With in the Draft?

If the Hornets do package the 14th and 18th picks to move up, who would they call?

Kon Knueppel stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fourth pick | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets have two first-round draft picks this year. After the lottery buried them at 14, they have that pick and the 18th via the Orlando Magic. That is pretty good in a loaded draft class that will still have good players in that range.

The problem is that Charlotte's rotation is pretty full. Coby White's the only meaningful free agent, and he's almost assuredly going to re-sign. Even if the Hornets do trade one of Miles Bridges, Josh Green, or Grant Williams, there just aren't spots open.

Plus, Liam McNeeley and Tidjane Salaün may be ready for an increased role at the NBA level in years two and three, respectively. The Hornets have an abundance of players, and that's not usually good when you also have two first-round picks.

The natural idea is to package those picks and move up (or move one or both of them for an established star, which isn't likely). But who would they even call to move up? It's not likely that they'd be able to move into the top eight, even if that high.

We have to consider teams ahead of the Hornets that would benefit from having two cracks at the draft. For example, the Atlanta Hawks, who pick eighth, don't need two rookies to add, so the Hornets can skip calling them.

Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton (20) and Charlotte Hornets forward center Moussa Diabate (14) fight for a rebound | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks, at ninth overall, could use two stabs at it, though. They need talent to go around Cooper Flagg because if and when Kyrie Irving returns, he's going to be hobbled and likely isn't long for the organization. Adding two impactful rookies alongside their centerpiece might be smarter.

The Milwaukee Bucks (10th overall) make sense, too, even if they move on from Giannis Antetokounmpo. That would bring back a haul of picks and young players, and they could instantly create a large, sweeping group of young players to build around if they had two first-round picks this year instead of one.

The Golden State Warriors are the same way. They will want to maximize the last years of Stephen Curry. Would they be better off in that pursuit with just someone like Yaxel Lendeborg or two similar-caliber prospects? Probably the latter, giving them a more well-rounded and deep lineup to put around Curry.

The Oklahoma City Thunder at 12 don't need two players to add to their rotation. The Miami Heat at 13 probably do, but does anyone think the 14th and 18th picks are worth the 13th? And would the Heat even bother trading with the Hornets or vice versa? Not likely.

So, that means that the Hornets can call the Mavericks, Bucks, and Warriors. Otherwise, they're probably stuck with two picks in the first round, which of course isn't the worst thing in the world.

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