Charlotte Hornets seeking bad contracts via trade this offseason in an effort to build a brighter future

When there are 30 teams in a league, as there are in the NBA, you’re bound to have organizations headed in different directions. You have a select few championship contenders; the rest are just trying to reach the playoffs. The Charlotte Hornets are firmly in the latter category, with no NBA Finals trip in sight in the very near future.

But that doesn’t mean the Hornets don’t have a plan to get back to relevance. After all, it was just two years ago when Buzz City was celebrating a 43-win season in LaMelo Ball’s second year in the league. Yet, after winning 27 and 21 games the past two seasons, it’s time to try something unconventional, even if that means taking one step back to take two or three leaps forward.

So, when Forbes’ NBA insider Evan Sidery reported that the Hornets are “open to the idea” of taking on bad contracts to acquire draft picks, it led to the notion that Charlotte could become an active participant in trade negotiations throughout the offseason.

While loading up the cap sheet with “non-desirable” contracts, as Sidery calls them, isn’t ideal in the long run, it could help the Hornets build a better roster. These assets can then be used in a number of ways to improve the team, whether it’s continuing to collect young prospects in the draft or packaging multiple picks and players for other pieces that can help speed up their competitive timeline.

Not to mention, acquiring players on expiring contracts will give the Hornets future cap space if nothing else. Sometimes, these players even have added value when the trade deadline nears, with contenders seeking an expiring contract to help them gain future cap space, too.

Several teams around the league have a player or two they’d like to shed from their payroll. Sometimes, it’s a former top prospect on a high-salary rookie contract. Other times, it’s an aging or recently injured player who hasn’t lived up to their current or upcoming contract value. Either way, it doesn’t sound like the Hornets will be picky, as long as the negotiations offer draft compensation.