The Charlotte Hornets have failed to build a real and consinstent competitive team after Kemba Walker (you may say they failed with Kemba too but that's another story) and now they are still in the middle of the rebuild while having a few good players getting older and rotting while tanking. Here is my idea on what they should do:
1- selling all the valuable players with 2+ years contracts for expiring bad contracts + picks:
DETROIT: The Pistons have figured out how to put a solid team around Cade but I really don't like their rotation at PF. I think that Crumble Cookie (aka Tobias Harris) isn't a great player for the present and for the future of the team and so I think it'd be the right decision to trade him with a 2028 FRP for a better and younger player like Bridges. About the pick: I'm not a pick expert but I think it would be fair the Hornets get 100% a first round pick with some potential to be good but I'm not saying it needs to be unprotected. If you want consider it top "x" protected you can, but in this case it would convey in the 2029 FRP unprotected (or with less protection and it would convey in the 2030 FRP this time unprotected). (I know Pistons fans are gonna hate this because they overrate their players but I think it makes sense, no hate intended).
CHICAGO: the Bulls are an organization that hate rebuilding and so they try retooling. They already have some interesting young player (White, Giddey, Dosunmu) but they are mostly guard. With Mark Williams they'd get an interesting young center to help in the post Vucevic era (they might finally trade him and get some asset). I think Green is a similar player to Huerter while being a better shooter and on a cheaper deal. I'm not saying this is the perfect deal for the Bulls future but something that (I think) makes sense considering that the Bulls don't want to rebuild. The pick is 2030 lottery protected that convey in 2031 top 4 protected that convey in 2032 unprotected.
ORLANDO: in the last couple of year the problem with the Orlando Magic has been their lack of offensive production. This summer they instead went in free agency and got KCP, a good 3 and D player who needs somebody to create for him. The Magics would solve their "mistake" by trading for Lamelo. It's a trade a lot of people think that it makes sense. I put in the trade KCP for salary and Black because I think Cole Anthony is a better player (maybe Black ceiling is higher but he needs a lot of time to develop while the Magic would want to "win now") as Lamelo backup off the bench. The picks are unprotected
MIAMI: the Heat have to build around Herro and Bam and I think that 2 seconds + Terry Rozier are a fair price for KCP, especially considering how bad Rozier has been this season. The Hornets trade KCP because he doesn't fit with the reset idea of this post and would be wasted on a rebuilding team.
2- start planning for the future:
After making this trade the Hornets would have their roster set for the 2025-26 season. They'd have:
their young core: Miller, NSJ, Salaun, Black, Diabate, KJ, 2025 Hornets and Denver FRPs;
their expiring contracts: Huerter, Rozier, Harris, Nurkic, Okogie
injured players returning: Grant Williams has a 3 year deal and they should decide what to do with Mann.
In the next season they should focus on understanding the strenght and weaknesses of their young players while being bad. But in the 2026 offseason they'd have 100M in cap space and som contracts + picks to build a good team around Miller.
I know it's an extreme idea, I just wanted to have fun (plz don't hate me in th comment)