The Charlotte Hornets are loaded with draft picks. After trading away LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, and Miles Bridges, and acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith in a salary dump, the Hornets picked up additional assets to add to their arsenal. Jeff Peterson is following the same team-building blueprint as Sam Presti in Oklahoma City: make good trades, stockpile assets, and hit on draft picks.
Over the next seven years, Charlotte now owns 11 first-round picks and 20 second-round picks. It’s rare to have an abundance of draft capital in that amount, but it’s exactly how the Thunder have engineered a sustainable contender for the foreseeable future.
Are The Hornets Becoming The Next OKC? The Blueprint Says Yes
Jeff Peterson Is Emphasizing Short-Term Pain For Long-Term Gain
It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that Charlotte traded their most talented player away after achieving the most wins in a season since the 2015-16 NBA season. It seems counterintuitive, but Peterson explained his philosophy on sustained success with the currently constructed roster when prompted by Rod Boone:
“The goal has never been to get to the playoffs one time and be out for 7-8 years and try to get back again. It’s always been about sustainability. I think the roster that we have gives us the best chance to move forward.”
While he can’t mention the LaMelo trade since it isn’t official yet, the understanding is that Peterson did not believe the team was championship-contending with Ball and Bridges on the roster. The result ended up shifting the timeline back a square, but not without any gains in the process.
Becoming an asset-rich franchise gives roster flexibility that many teams can’t match. It’s possible to envision Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller being the long-term centerpieces that the franchise can build around after witnessing their play last season.
It’s also possible to acquire a superstar in the future, as he sees fit. Being able to pivot in any direction on the chessboard is great.
The Hornets Are Emulating The OKC Blueprint
Taking a small‑market team to a championship is no small feat. For a Charlotte franchise starving to make the playoffs — let alone dream about a title — the sudden shift in direction felt mistimed.
But results always win in the end. If the Hornets manage to stay competitive without Ball and Bridges while simultaneously stockpiling one of the league’s strongest arsenals of assets, Peterson will be labeled a genius.
Charlotte taking a step back at the very moment when Eastern Conference teams are bolstering their rosters for a run could yield generous rewards. Following Presti’s roster-building philosophy is smart given the new second-apron rules.
This is why having valuable, cost-controlled players on rookie contracts helps a team tremendously. If Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. exceed expectations, the sky is the limit.
The Hornets just blew the top off their salary cap. They have the flexibility to continue filling out their roster now that they’ve offloaded Ball’s contract. They also still have a large trade exception to use within a year.
Just like Presti, Peterson made the hard decision to break up a 40-plus-win team. Time will tell whether the moves he made will have the same result as Presti’s, but no GM hasn’t had to make a difficult decision in their tenure.
The parity within the NBA is at its highest with eight different champions in the last eight seasons. The Hornets need to hit on their draft picks, make winning trades, and have young stars develop under head coach Charles Lee to build a sustainable contender. Having 11 first-round picks is a good start.
Photo Credit: Mike Watters, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
