
9. Charlotte Hornets
2019-2020 Record: (23-43)
Preseason Record: (1-2)
The Hornets offseason was a strange one. While they had a strong draft, taking LaMello Ball 3rd overall, Duke big man Vernon Carey Jr. at 32nd and point guard Grant Riller at 56th, which is surprising due to some analysts considering him a border line first round pick, Charlotte potentially got a steal in a powerful offensive weapon with this pick.
However the Hornets offseason had its fair share of questionable moves as well. The Hornets traded three second round draft picks (2022-2024) for a 30-year-old, injury-prone Gordon Hayward and signing him to an enormous 4-year $120 million contract. When healthy, Hayward is certainly a player that will improve the Hornets on both sides of the ball. But you have to question the front offices decision to bring in a win-now type veteran presence on a roster that clearly looks to be in rebuild mode.
The move also forced them to waive-and-stretch Nicolas Batum’s final $27 million owed over the next three seasons.
The Hornets re-signed Bismack Biyombo to a one-year, $3.5 million dollar deal. This move is somewhat questionable given his subpar stats as a backup in Charlotte the past few years and the fact that they took two big men in the draft this year. While re-signing Biyombo may provide a veteran presence to help mentor the young bigs, you have to wonder if he will cut into their playing time and ultimately hindering their development.