RECAP: How the Charlotte Hornets won trade deadline day by moving PJ Washington and Gordon Hayward

RECAP: How the Charlotte Hornets won trade deadline day by moving PJ Washington and Gordon Hayward

The Charlotte Hornets actually did something on NBA trade deadline day the most consequential trade deadline day of the Mitch cup check tenure no Brad wam maker no Montes Herold on a rental they actually did something we break it all down today lockon Hornets you are locked on Hornets your daily Charlotte Hornets

Podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day in a minute cuz we live it’s lockon hornets part of the locked on podcast Network it’s your team every day thanks for making us your first listen we are free and available anywhere you get your pods and as always

That includes YouTube That’s Doug Branson you can find his work his happy work on every Hornets boox score.com you can also see him holding it down yesterday on Deadline day going solo I was doing the radio thing I’m Walker mail you can listen to me on WFNZ every

Weekday from 12:00 to 300 p.m. with with wested Walker sports radio 927 FM and so I appreciate Doug for holding it down before we get started though do you think that today is the last day that I can really mention Brad wanam maker anymore like do I just need to stop

Mentioning Brad because now it’s the last time that Mitch cup Che like the the only deadline days we had Brad Waker for cash considerations and we had Montes herina rental where is Smith eventually found himself back here in Charlotte which he’s gone now but I just

Need to know if I can move on from water maker no I think it’s always going to represent sort of sicko code for expecting your team to do something because you look at the team and go there are obvious problems here and there are solutions to be had if one

Would do them on the trade market and then to watch that trade deadline go by and literally not not nothing happened but almost like something that was trolling you as a fan like we’re going to do something it’s not going to address anything but we’re going to do

Something um no that will always Brad watermaker will always represent that SI Coe he really will he really will so yes Brad WM maker mantes Herold those are not the deals the type of deals that they made yesterday instead they actually did something and we can Dive

Right on into it here all right so we’ll talk about what the Hornets got in return for some of the players they shipped out to different franchises so it started with Gordon Hayward yesterday the Charlotte Hornets traded Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Trey man and vilia meic

Also for forward Davis berans included in the deal was a 2024 second round pick and a 2025 second round pick so Trey man vilia meic and Davis bans 2024 2025 second rounder that was the first trade the second trade the Charlotte Hornets shipped PJ Washington to the Dallas

Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry Grant Williams and a lightly protected first round pick lightly protected first once we were all waiting for the protection on the first round pick it was lightly protected so here are the two deals that the Hornets made yesterday that also by the way if we

Want to reference they also traded Terry roier for a 2027 Lottery protected first that will go to an unprotected first round pick in 2028 if it does not convey so that’s a lot of core players heading out here Doug yeah and you were in asset collection mode a couple seconds from

The Thunder two first from Miami and Dallas some guys that might play might be big parts of the rotation we can get to that in a moment but the real question is how do you view these trades on Charlotte side and the ultimate question the ultimate radio Bacher

Report we need to get some content up on our website it right now did you win the trade do you feel like the Hornets did that yesterday uh they absolutely won these trades and I don’t think that that means necessarily that OKC and Dallas lost these trades because I think

Everybody got a little something that they wanted it made these trades made sense for Charlotte and and so in that sense they absolutely won and that like you look at the trade and go this makes rational sense for this team to do and I think across the board people that are

Looking at this commentate ERS you know are are saying yes what the Hornets needed to do was to reset the core and you do that when you ship out Terry Rosier Gordon Hayward and PJ Washington three players that have started plenty of games for this franchise over the

Past couple of years and then as a consequence of the number of players that you brought in I mean you’re you’re bringing in five players that are actual you know most of these guys are actual NBA level rotation pieces that are going to be playing off a bench that w

Yesterday said look there’s nobody on this NBA this Hornets bench right now that is even going to be in the NBA next season that’s how it’s viewed around the league and and so now you’re adding actual pieces actual depth pieces not just for this season but for next season

As well and as a consequence of that you’re waving James book Knight Frank NE Lina and ish Smith so you’re undoing some of the work that you were trying to do in terms of Shoring up the point guard position that was an absolute failure you’re undoing that so look well

I don’t know who was shepherding this whether it was Mitch cup or the ownership group or secretly Michael Jordan and his you know layer or whatever but like whoever did this they had one goal in mind completely reset this franchise and get it ready for something we don’t know what that

Something is but I’m looking at them collecting 2027 first round picks Walker and I’m saying that something is not drafting players in 2027 that’s something especially if if the reports are true that they’re looking to resign miles bridges that something is make this team into a contender sooner rather than later so

There’s a lots of breakdown and we can focus on some of the details next week Once We Gather our thoughts once we kind of realize the Fallout from all of this what happens with Kyle Lowry and maybe just the last little moves where we’ve seen some other guys waved as you

Mentioned but just the overview rapid fire takes on some of the stuff I’m going to try to provide going to Gordon Hayward I think Gordon Hayward going to Oklahoma City that matters a lot for them because they don’t need a vocal leader they don’t need somebody that is

Going to do the Rah thing in the locker room that says hey guys we need to play defense right bleeping now because he’s not going to do it but they don’t need him to do that they already have their leader and they don’t need to rely on a

Ton of minutes from him if he’s hurt okay we’ve already gotten to a place where we’re the number one seat in the Western Conference and then interchanging with Minnesota cool Gordon is a luxury in order to get that luxury we gave up a couple of second round

Picks and we gave up Trey man who’s talented but we have a bunch of young talented players Trey man isn’t seeing the floor so we can send him to the Charlotte Hornets that’s fine meic is the guy too that will be kind of fun right 30 years old really nice League

MVP playmaker I mean yeah you look at you look at these trades and you go the Hornets brought in two things that they needed depth and and playmaking and some int I’ll say three intensity too you’re getting some intense players in this trade as well so yeah I mean I think

They addressed three look that this is a team that is so bad that they have like seven or eight different needs you can’t possibly address them all in in one trade deadline but they knocked a couple out here were you laughing real quickly because Zack low said this was some

Amazing trade for Oklahoma City is that what you were laughing about what got into Zack low yesterday why was he screaming at me that whole show like it was so that that was that whole thing was odd no I was laughing cuz my favorite tweet yesterday from the trade

Deadline was Gordon Hayward is is a perfect fit for Oklahoma City we’ll see how he fits with the Thunder perfect that’s a great tweet you’re absolutely right look at that Doug is done it’s a great tweet also well I also love how like you know we’re we’re kicking Gordon Hayward out the

Door right like I mean you’re you’re seeing an article come out in the Charlotte Observer talking about how all these people in the in the organization were frustrated with with Gordon’s inability to get out on the floor which is something that like yes we’ve talked about here on this show how we were

Frustrated by it fans were frustrated by it but no one would mention it in the franchise until he’s out the door it’s it’s shameful like can we get some leaks can we get some leaks when players are here can Terry Rosier say something when he’s actually here can anyone talk about

The problems that this franchise has you know in the moment instead of doing these autopsies after the body is already dead so I don’t even care necessarily about I mean I do I get your point and I think that’s also important but also how much if we’re trying to be

A professional franchise then doesn’t that take you back a peg if we’re trying to be this actual NBA franchise that does thing at the NBA trade trade deadline that makes the smart decision that understands that this is not a team that is going to be contending with this

Type of core and so let’s go ahead and trade them for assets and then you hold the Maverick’s feet to the fire and you get a lightly protected first and here we are celebrating and then you want to talk trash about a guy that was already injured when you signed who already had

The injury history his ankle was turning 180° from the point it’s supposed to and you gave him $30 million so it’s not like umm we’re frustrated by this you knew what you were doing and then as they were leaving ah man we’re frustrated this guy can never see the

Court was that a surprise to you was that a surprise Mr Mich Jordan Mr Plotkin or schnall like of course this is what happened yes yes he didn’t play over 50 games and if it wasn’t a surprise when you signed him was it a surprise the

First the second or the third year where he didn’t play over 50 games like at some point it’s just not a surprise and so you’re right just trade him he’s a good players when he’s on when he’s on the court he’s not in the organization anymore so it’s done just let don’t leak

Anything out anyways all right I don’t listen I don’t I don’t honestly like you know I’m sure Gordon hayward’s feelings are not going to be hurt he didn’t look very hurt on the sideline night after night and but didn’t see an exit interview I saw an exit interview with

PJ I’m not sure that I caught the exit interview smart by the pr team to be honest with you smart there no reason those replies even for PJ you could get a mixed bag but with Gordon Hayward you were not going to get a mixed bag you were going to get something where

Especially Hayward Muse is tweeting out there thank God I don’t have to watch the Hornets if you were watching him you never had to so now I’m taking shots now I’m taking shots now every it’s G it’s gone back okay I I have more thoughts on

The Hayward trade we got to get to PJ Washington let’s do that coming up next on the lockdown Hornets podcast don’t go to sleep on the Hornets just yet I mean a lot to break down the tease is they did something on trade deadline day and

We have a lot more to get to that’s the tease I apologize for nothing that’s coming up in the second segment of lockdown Hornets this episode is brought to you by our friends at eBay Motors our partners at eBay motors have teamed up with locked on Fantasy Basketball host Josh Lloyd to bring you some of the best fantasy picks each week all season long whether you’re prepping for a daily

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Healthy now Cody Martin Cody Martin is on the list here’s Lloyd’s reasoning Cody Martin Health permitting could find himself in a strong role for charl with Gordon Hayward now in Oklahoma City so yeah that might be true also Cody did flirt with a career high the last time

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Apply more lockdown Hornets Ahead I didn’t expect it Doug for for our only podcast audience which by the way folks we’re still posting these to audio feeds it doesn’t just have to be YouTube you can catch us anywhere you get your podcast but for those people that still understand that Doug brought

Out the big dub hat and I didn’t see it we go to a graphic a different one when I read the ads and I talk about our great sponsors and our great partners and Doug comes back with the antenna straight up Big D hat baby oh they are

Up baby they are way up they’re not going down excited big dub hat consult your doctor because these antennas have been up for about six plus hours yeah those things don’t need any blue I would tell you that so we can move on and talk a little more about Gordon and Hayward I

Want to give the final takes there just as far as the win right the only way I so like I I explained this with Nick Carboni yesterday I think talent-wise I don’t I don’t know what the Mark is talent-wise you probably got what 50 probably like 60 cents on the dollar in

Return Doug right like I I don’t know maybe something like that with Trey man young Reclamation project bans isn’t playing he’s a great shooter I tweeted that out where you don’t need to look up the stats but I’m pretty sure he’s made every single shot he’s ever taken so

Like maybe somewhere in that neighborhood right like I don’t want to get lost too much in the numbers but I also don’t think you could have gotten really anything better you got draft compensation so when that trade first came in and the money still needed to be

Added up it didn’t really work with the first initial trade that was reported and it was it was bertans it was Trey man and then we didn’t get meic in there yet and then so then we got meic and then we got the second round picks and

Once we got the two second round picks I think most people are like okay I like this a lot better after Gordon Hayward got injured Doug after he started not playing any games I think a first round pick was off the table especially that he kept sitting out he kept sitting out

If he could have come back and maybe played three weeks before the deadline or something it might have salvaged it with teams being desperate to contend maybe but once he got injured man it was going to be really hard to get any form of a protected first round pick and so I

I feel like this is probably the best the Hornets could do getting back a couple seconds and getting back some guys at least IT addresses some backcourt depth with which this team has needed since like 2010 well they’re going to continue to need it because we

Don’t know when lamelo ball is going to hit the floor again so like just like base level what that deal does is makes the rest of this season infinitely more watchable because you’re going to have players and like me and man too that can do a little bit of

Playmaking and with man I mean that contract because it’s the rookie deal is so cheap and if he pops off I mean if man turns into the next monk going to a different team and lighting it up then all of a sudden you have his bird rights

You’re you’re right there in the seat to bring him back at a on a on a second deal that’s not going to be like Monumental either so it’s it’s it’s just perfect that you can bring man in and essentially do a book Knight reset right because book Knight there were all these

Feelings wrapped up with Clifford having given him opportunities and those opportunities he you know failed to live up to expectations so now you wipe all that away and you get a player with a very similar profile and Trey man but without all of that baggage and so now

You you’ve got all of those opportunities so I think it’s a perfect yeah if you’re not going to get a first round pick for a big expiring contract to me getting young player and another a little bit more more veteran player in the Euroleague MVP in meic but that can

Do a very specific thing that you’re absolutely going to need like that’s to me that’s a great deal I do I I think so I think it’s I think it’s totally fair and Gordon Hayward will help Oklahoma City so I I I do think that and it’ll be

On a rental and the cap space too like just to make note of this you know bertans is somebody that doesn’t have a guaranteed contract you have an early termination option and that’s going to happen in July of or excuse me January of 2025 so if you wanted to move off of

His contract that’s fine I think you have to put 5 million towards the books until you have that early termination option and then it goes back up to like the 15 something like that but ultimately Doug they didn’t take on long-term money that is a backbreaking

Type of salary in order to collect some of these assets which is the most important thing well that’s what I’m saying what when I said in the first segment that all of this to me adds up to a team that is truly not rebuilding they are tooling because they didn’t do

Something like that had they taken on a four or fiveyear deal with like something that was in the neighborhood of you know 10 to5 million a year then I would be like okay it seems like the the timeline is a little bit extended but I

But I think these are all deals that you can either package together with those first round picks and move them you know I mean when the Nets were fire sailing I was looking at that going wait a minute are the Hornets on the phone right now trying to acquire Mel Bridges like the

Opportunities become endless when you have multiple first round picks at your disposal and and that’s going to happen in the in the you know upcoming off season they also added shooting in this trade deadline as well which is something that this team desperately needs they need to extend the floor a

Little bit give miles Bridges some room to drive like what this deal did I think is eliminate the rest of this season miles Bridges and his desire to go herob ball and pull up from like 19 ft like I don’t want to see that anymore if we see

That anymore from Miles Bridges then it’s a miles Bridges problem because so far I’ve been letting him off the hook for some of these shots that he’s taking because there haven’t been any Playmakers on the floor and there haven’t been any shooters that any Playmakers could even throw the ball to

But now that’s got to stop it does and well if the shooting gets out there like I don’t know how many minutes are going to come from the Thunder guys like because meic isn’t much of a shooter and I think he might be the guy that you see

Play the most out of these guys yeah man has the to be that if if he gets his confidence back you know I think that was an issue change he’s a classic like monk you know change of scenery guy that’s what you’re hoping here so let’s

Move on to Dallas because there’s a lot to get to there as well that that I think honestly it’s the bigger trade chronologically it goes Gordon Hayward and then PJ was traded later PJ Washington goes to Dallas in exchange for Grant Williams Seth Curry and a lightly protected first round pick so if

We want to talk about the first first round pick first Doug it ties into your your point on the Thunder trade the fact that you have now two first rounders in 2027 you are right like you can go after male Bridges and this is what it brings

Me to remember when Hornet’s fans were so frustrated that Charlotte couldn’t get in on the Donovan Mitchell sweep stakes and it was because all right why aren’t they making a move well reports were that the Hornets were very interested in Doan Mitchell but they can’t compete with New York and they

Can’t compete with Cleveland because they didn’t have the first round picks right and instead remember they traded up to Kai Jones to go get him and they got rid of that first and even if it didn’t convey we thought that was a good thing that it was so protected but in

Reality we couldn’t use it for inseason trades because other teams controlled it and so that actually brought us down a first round pick that we didn’t own now you have two first rounders in 2027 where teams could talk themselves into maybe the Miami Heat going through that transition they did from the beat

The heedles era to this you know Jimmy Butler era and then you could talk yourself into Luca doic getting frustrated enough to where he wants out of Dallas and oh yeah now that first round pick is going to go to the Charlotte Hornets and so now you have

Two first rounders that maybe you can go after Donovan Mitchell now maybe you can go after whoever you want to the next disgruntled star that actually is okay playing with Brandon Miller and lamelo ball with that being the next young fun dynamic backcourt duo that is this

Frisky team getting to the playoffs and maybe even competing in a playoff first round series like the these first round picks even if they’re so far out it’s really hard to guarantee what you’re going to get at that point but perception is reality with first round

Picks it’s always what you know I I view it as like if if the NBA GMS view first round picks as so valuable then it doesn’t really matter if you as a fan are like well okay like it’s so far out no but the GMS view it as really

Valuable therefore the perception is the reality they’re freaking valuable so now what happens is you’re right you get to go after whoever you want and help lamelo and Brandon and it matters to help lamelo and Brandon if you want want those guys to stay here with a franchise

That has not done a lot of winning since the second iteration well that’s why the protections are so important because other teams are going to have multiple first rounders you want your first rounders to be a little bit more attractive than another team you want that total package to be attractive and

So having a pick that is only top two protected as opposed to top four team protected uh will be essential in making something happen whether it’s you know this upcoming offseason or the offseason after that and let me just say like I think the PJ you know a lot is being

Make made of like the hometown swap you know PJ goes home uh Grant Williams Seth Curry Dell that’ll be a fun thing that comes all that’s all fun I think this was a Vibe reset trade for both teams and and what I love is that Dallas had

To pay a little bit more to reset the Vibes because they had to give up the first round pick it seems like always when the Hornets do a Vibe reset they’re the ones having to pay more so this time you get Dallas to pay a little bit more

But look Grant Williams uh signed in the offseason by Dallas instead of going after PJ Washington they went after Grant Williams gave him more money than PJ Washington made and the vi I think the Vibes were off with Grant and Dallas Tim mcmah is report that that he rubbed

People the wrong way within that organization right I I don’t think there was any love between PJ and this organization especially after how the offseason went when they hard balled him all the way up to the end of the off season and and made him take less than

He wanted and and I you know I I wouldn’t I wouldn’t say that he um that he played like a guy that was necessarily like I’m going to live and die for this organization and so I think this is a perfect Vibe reset I think PJ’s going to go and be successful in

Dallas I hope Grant can kind of refind his his Celtic Glory here uh back in his hometown but this was a much needed wash and with the Gordon trade as well a much needed reset of The Vibes I I love this trade in fact I’ll say I think this is

The best bit of business that we’ve seen from Mitch cup since he’s been the GM here if he did it if it was Mitch I don’t know you know conspiracy I know I have the big dub hat but I might put on the tin foil hat here well let me just

Say let me real quick I and I I’ll let you get to your point but no you didn’t just have a 50-minute show yesterday know it’s fine I’m sorry but well how how long are you on the air in Charlotte you’re on for like three hours I was on

For an hour this is a different platform I think that’s fair okay but here’s the thing if if it was indeed Mitch cback who had to do all of these traits it it’s pretty brutal for the organization to be like all right Mitch listen you’ve got to break down

Everything that you built and and and if they do indeed remove him after the trade deadline it gets even more brutal it’s like hey Mitch on your way out I need you to dismantle and destroy everything that you spent time building on in your time here that’s that’s

Brutal well I mean at least miles is here that was the first draft pick at least for Mitch at least we’ll get to that well not in this show we’re gonna get no so with PJ so yes the the PJ Vibes check Grant Williams Vibe check

That does need to change and I I think PJ going back to Dallas I think that matters for him and I think yeah like I was trying to remember the point the point is I think it’s the best bit of business that Mitch cup Che I think it’s the best business that

He’s done there God I’ll say it three times I think for me the fact we talked about this Doug holding Dallas’s feet to the fire understanding that no no no no no you are the desperate team if you want to get off of Grant Williams if you

Want PJ Washington so bad because you clearly want the stretch type power forward that can bring you team defense that that team needs but also can maybe finish around the rim a little bit which he was much better at doing this year the two point percentage is back up to

What it was on the low volume season so like with PJ if you want him then you need to give us Josh green or you need to give us a lightly protected first and if you don’t want to fine we’ll keep PJ for the next two years or trade him to

Somebody that is willing to play some serious basketball and Dallas is like all right fine you take the lightly protected first it just it felt like it felt like we were the smart team Doug and how many times can you say that I it doesn’t feel like that happens very

Often and it felt like wow Hornets just I I don’t want to say flee him you know my thoughts on PJ I really like him as a player but this was good business man like lightly protected I was hoping for a lottery protected first from PJ at the

Most and they got it even better than that so love it Dallas needed to get rid of Grant Williams and so like that’s they they needed something they needed a reset and they’ve got things to play for so it made sense for them too uh I don’t I think that Charlotte secretly didn’t

Want Josh green but they were they they played it smart they said look we’re GNA hold your we want Josh green and they’re like no we can’t give up Josh green but I think the Hornets C I’ll say for my part I would much rather have the first

Round pick because then you can go out and pair that with the Terry pick and with your own pick and you can get a player that is 3 4X 5x 10 better than Josh Green yeah I wonder if what Dallas valued more because it is weird I I

Think most get of gr Williams getting right yeah but you didn’t have to still I mean I didn’t I couldn’t imagine it was crazy hard although you know I’m a little bit lower on Grant and everybody else is like I think and so we can get

To that in a moment I’ll give you some of those thoughts coming up next on the lockdown Hornets go to sleep on the Hornets just yet we’ll give more thoughts on the PJ Washington trade and then finish this thing up in the last segment of lockdown Hornets This episode is brought to you by Nissan are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further if you have you ever wondered what Adventure could be around the next Corner our friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUVs with the capabilities to take your adventure to

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Wrong which of course it’s Doug Branson of course you’re not wrong but the Charlotte Hornets did acknowledge Gordon haward’s existence in on Twitter by trading him what do they say to Gordon I said wishing you all the best G there’s a highlight package Gordon Hayward reposted it Bing Bang Boom it’s over the

Hayward era in Charlotte is over right you technically were not wrong because you said there was not an exit interview like there was with PJ and the social media content so a little bit different even with I I think I think like understandably frustration maybe from

Both sides but like also still hey it’s not crazy like I don’t hate PJ the Hornets don’t hate PJ I don’t think PJ hates Charlotte like that Gordon and Charlotte it did feel like a little bit you know especially with the relationship with the fan base it did

Feel a little more fractured so with PJ PJ going to Dallas um I do think that that’s going to hurt this team but I think s clearly PJ is more replaceable than some of the other young stars that we’ve talked about right the BMW thing lamelo ball Mark Williams Brandon Miller

Those guys being here that’s the core you care about and then Nick Smith Jr we’ll see about miles Bridges as he and Rich Paul told you they were going to veto any trade and so we’ll see if the Hornets try to resign him it does look like that’s going to happen with PJ

Going to Dallas what that does for PJ is it allows him to play on lower volume that matters that was the best season he ever put up here in Charlotte when he was on a lower volume and that was the over 500 season you’re talking about a big onoff differential and only one

Season where there was a negative onoff differential for PJ here what was that that was last year when everything was crazy okay so PJ doing like the actual thing where you play for a good basketball team and you don’t have to have him be like the first the second

Even third guy but even Nick angad who host lock on Mavericks said he’s a for sure starter so he’s going to go over there and still play a lot of minutes for the Dallas Mavericks you wouldn’t give up a first round pick for anything

Other than that then I I do think PJ is going to be effective bringing Grant Williams and bringing Seth Curry in return like Grant Williams is the more interesting player to me Doug I think that’s true for everybody else man I I like Grant like I I’d called him PJ

Light right I think that’s kind of how we operated in the offseason too they’re similar players I do think there is a little bit of a lighter version here than what you have with PJ but people are saying he brings attitude he brings toughness okay I think that’s true um

He’s not been a Surefire player in each of the last two spots you know with Boston Joe Missoula didn’t love going to him people criticized Missoula for that to be fair Grant Williams goes in in the playoff series against Miami probably took too long to play him but they play

Better against Miami they actually make that a series rather than getting embarrassingly swept they just get embarrassingly beat so Grant Williams like okay eventually gets signed for not that much money anyway they really wanted it to work in Dallas but apparently it didn’t wasn’t playing very well wasn’t getting a with players in

The locker room all right now he’s coming here to Charlotte it’s great that he’s home I think he wants to be home so it’s just it feels like at least my timeline Doug is really excited about Grant Williams as a player and I’m like okay like I think he’s GNA help us I

Think he can do some nice things but I at least it it feels like I’m probably 70% there with what I’ve seen most from Hornet’s Twitter and that could just be my timeline but that’s how I feel I would just warn everyone not to get attached to anyone except for lamelo

Ball and Brandon Miller like if you’re going out there to buy a jersey you know what I’m saying like I wouldn’t go out there and buy Wills Jersey is what you’re saying I mean maybe the hometown feel like you could have that but I’m with you okay that’s fine yeah yeah if

You’re a vs fan or you’re a fan of of uh Grant when he played in high school that’s fine like yeah go out and do whatever you want to spend your money however you would like but I’m just saying I wouldn’t get attached to anyone at this point because I don’t think

That’s what these deals were about they were not about going out and acquiring players who are going to be part of the long-term picture it was about doing things that can set up a more longer term reset that’s going to happen at some point in the future that’s that’s

The whole thing the Hornets did get less talented like the the best players in the trade were the players that were leaving Charlotte and going to other teams but I think what is interesting for the short term for the rest of the season is I think even though they lost

The most Talent what they brought back just in terms of skill set is actually going to make them more watchable it’s going to make your eyes bleed a little bit less especially if lamelo ball is not set to return in in the next few weeks and and I don’t know who’s going

To play and who’s not going to play yet we haven’t gotten any word about what’s going to happen tonight against Milwaukee um you know it’s obviously going to take some time you’ve got it’s like that episode of The Office where they merge branches like you’ve got three different branches now having to

Figure it out it’s not a not an easy task for Steve Clifford coming up over the next few weeks because you’re you don’t get a lot of practice time you don’t you and You’ aie in PJ but I think over the next couple of weeks you’re going to

See the hopefully you’ll see the ball move a little bit more you’ll see the floor extended a little bit you’ll see more space for driving you know I think it actually makes them more watchable yeah um especially with one thing that’s weird about this is you bring up that

They’re going to be more watchable I do feel because they get rid of higher usage players because they’re more talented so it makes sense right they’re more talented they’re more higher usage they’re hunting their shot more so you’re probably a little more privy to bad shots you got that with PJ you’re

Getting that with miles but you’re hoping that you can spread the floor a little bit with some of the shooting you know Terry roier was fun but you know the shot selection had to be forced a little bit and maybe even with Gordon but now like nobody is talented enough

To say hey relax pal I’ve got this possession nobody is going to be like that and so they’re going to have to move the ball a little more I’m hoping that that leads yeah I think that goes a little bit more into your point and what

They and what they didn’t do they didn’t move miles yeah I would not come on here and say that they’re going to be more watchable had they traded Gordon miles Terry and PJ within a deadline period right like you’re you’re losing essentially I don’t know 70% of your

Scoring and and notice I did not say they’re going to win a bunch of basketball games I don’t think any of these trades oh I would have checked you if you did right yes I it’s not going to change the trajectory of the draft pick which is

Important too I think that’s a win like you didn’t want to do anything that was going to you know cause you to go from a top four overall pick I think the Hornets are firmly going to be in that fight for the the the number one overall

Selection in this next draft so that that’s all fine and good it I think it will make them more watchable and honestly like I think it’s going to help Brandon Miller and and a lot of these players develop if the ball’s moving if they if they function more

Like even if they’re not winning even if not scoring enough points or defending well enough to win games if they’re functioning more like a version of an NBA team that would compete if they had better shooting better Talent better you know somebody under the rim that can

Protect the rim at all times that’s going to help the Hornets overall they need to play better they don’t need to win games necessarily they need to play better in this back half that would be beneficial to everyone on maybe we see this effect where the baby

Bugs just are full of life and energy happiness we’ve seen this we saw it last year when the Hornets were it wasn’t necessarily all baby bugs but they were younger players and guys that had bigger roles and they relished that and here they were being one of the better

Defensive teams in the second half or I should say post Allstar break and then we can go back to when the Hornets were supposed to tank and that was the Dwayne bacon like mini breakout before he started the next year vonte Graham mini breakout remember when they were like

Competing with the Lakers and that was the iteration like the transition from Kima to lamelo like you can have some of those moments because those guys are ready and they do relish that moment and you know so I’m hoping we see that again final thoughts for me Doug I feel like

The Hornets operated like a smart team yesterday at the deadline putting pressure on people but also getting deals done like check check check check in my opinion I it’s exactly what I would have wanted I I’d wanted like PJ as much I liked him as a player this

Trade is great for them and it makes all the sense in the world to collect the first I thought the Terry roier pick especially with that possibly going unprotected in 2028 that would be a great deal in my opinion and now here you have Gordon off of the books but you

Don’t take on a bunch of money and you bring on some assets the Hornets operated like a smart team and I don’t know if we can say that the other deadlines since Mitch cup has been here in 2018 no they finally came to terms with what this team is and what it isn’t

And they made steps to set the table for what comes next because don’t get it twisted the deals that happened are not going to send this team into any kind of New Direction that’s going to be the responsibility of whoever takes over in in the front office whether that’s

Peterson or schlank or some other unknown name that we haven’t heard about that’s when things get interesting because my big question coming off of this it is now what now what that’ll do it for a trade deadline edition of lockdown hornets have a great weekend we’ll be back with you on Monday

To re to Monday to recap some of the The Fallout maybe Kyle Lowry is gone who knows we’ll keep an eye on that and then we have some games to talk about too we’ll see if any of these guys make their debut this weekend and we can recap that Miles Bridges convo James

Book Knight waved yesterday because of some of the trades so remember there’s a lot to get to still make sure that you’re are checking us out anywhere you get your podcast and you keep coming back here to YouTube because we’re putting an episode up every single day

That we have a locked on Hornets show have a great weekend we’ll be back with you Monday no Frank neina exit interview either no No

Walker and Doug recap the NBA Trade Deadline and discuss how the Charlotte Hornets operated while turning the page to a different era. Did they maximize Gordon Hayward’s value? Did you expect to get a first round pick in exchange for PJ Washington? What’s next? Locked On Hornets breaks it all down.

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