Hornets Face CAP CRUNCH 💰 | LaMelo Ball TRADE OPTIONS | ANOTHER Evaluation Season?
The Charlotte Hornets’ offseason is officially under scrutiny, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks didn’t hold back in outlining the massive to-do list for the franchise. In this episode of Locked On Hornets, Doug and Walker break down the financial mess—including the impact of the Nurkić contract, looming extension decisions, and the harsh reality of being over the salary cap with a 19-win team.
Could this really be another “evaluation year”? If so, what does that mean for stars like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges? Doug discusses a hypothetical trade with the Kings and weighs whether the team should move both cornerstones now or risk wasting more seasons of Brandon Miller’s development. Plus, they answer a Sicko Satchel fan question that proposes blowing it all up—including wild trade packages involving the Bulls and Magic.
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://linktr.ee/lockedonhornets
Become an official member of the Locked On Hornets Sicko Brigade and get Hornets news, rumors and pictures of Byron Mullens sent directly to your phone via Subtext (14 Day Free Trial): https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonhornets
Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA
Get Doug’s gamenotes, special articles and a podcast on Hornets history at the Every Hornets Boxscore substack: everyhornetsboxscore.com
Get more Walker on Wes and Walker 12-3pm on WFNZ 92.7 FM
Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise
Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history
📲 Follow Locked On Hornets on Twitter
Locked On Hornets https://twitter.com/LockedOnHornets
Walker Mehl https://twitter.com/WalkerMehl
Doug Branson https://twitter.com/DougBransonLOH
For your next listen, check out the Locked On NBA podcast, where the season never ends providing national expertise with a local perspective. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
BetterHelp
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Rediscover your curiosity with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.
eBay Motors
From brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.
Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.
FanDuel
Now through September 22nd, ALL FanDuel customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get a THREE WEEK free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#Hornets #LaMelo #LaMeloBall #CharlotteHornets
28 Comments
Has to be asked, did we draft the wrong point guard in the 2020 NBA draft?
if we could actually pull off that bulls trade somehow i would not complain
Yo guys
JRE actually decent
Melo ball trade would fucking hurt badly .. melo is a shooter good one 2
Bulls aren't going to trade for LeMelo after paying his brother two years to sit injured on the bench. Hornets are going to get bad deals trying to trade LaMelo because of his injury history. The only way it works is if he can play every game through the trade deadline in February.
Trade melo briideges for cap space
I don’t mind if our organization spends money on the good players. We don’t need to save money. If we don’t build a good team, all the money they spent on these facility renovations and the upgrades at the spectrum center will be a waste.
Do not like trading back because of $$
I watched that Kings episode. I think Doug kinda sold them on why they shouldn’t trade for LaMelo. Lol
I feel like if an organization drafts a player or acquires a player that is still in their rookie contract, they should be able to retain that player outside of the cap.
we need to build around lamelo , i think we havent been able to get the elite players in the draft or in free agency !
we cant keep continuing to trade away our best players and keep going backwards got dame it !!!
got dame seem like we only good for banking and saving money !
The top 6 players on the Hornets (Ball, Miller, Bridges, Mann, M. Williams, G. Williams) have not played a single game together. Not 1!
I don't mind an evaluation season… I just want to actually see what's being evaluated! 😭😭😭
Trade Up for Harper.
Harper, B Mill Duo.
Trade Everyone Else for a Playoff Move.
And Sign a lot of Veterans.
i don't really understand all this timeline planning talk. ultimately it depends on the players you have and that depends on if you draft a generational player or not. a single draft can change everything
Fairly new to the pod but what’s up with his voice? Why is he speaking like that? Is it natural or is he purposely putting on a zesty voice. This was incredibly distracting and makes me not want to keep listening
just build around lamelo. hopefully if we draft vj edgecombe and take kg's advice and sign cp3 we can get melo some help in the front court. could also try package williams and bridges for a star forward as well
PLEASE trade lamelo so i dont have to watch this god awful franchise no more…🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Here is a honest argument thou lamelo shoulda been a starter for all star game so he shoulda been 2 time all star i just think we need good pieces around lamelo and brandon eith legit bigs its nice to have short line up but look at the finals and conference finals all the bigger teams are up there and all short line up teams are gone
seems they are trying to will or speak a Lamelo trade into existence…the front office has not uttered a word about trading Lamelo….so why not use this time to talk about what is really gonna happen….Lamelo is the least of Charlotte's problems and they know it…i actually want Melo to leave….they don't deserve him!
Brilliant podcast as always Walker and Doug, really looking forward to see what we do in the draft and also with the trade options. The front office needs to decide on whether to keep Nurk, Okogie 👍🏻
Why and the hell do you guys constantly want to trade our best player?
Hola…
Necesitamos armar y tener como base sólida a Lamelo y a Miller.
Se puede hacer movimientos por Mark Williams y traer otros pick del draf, ejemplo: Khaman Maluach. Y si me apuran, buscaría a Ace Bailey cambiándolo por el pick 33 y 34 y algún jugador como Bridges,
Yo elegiría si está disponible a VJ Edgecombe, tendríamos armado el equipo:
base: Ball, Man
escolta: Edgecombe; Nick Smith jr
alero: Miller, Okogie
ala: Bailey, Salaun
pivot: Diabatte, Maluach
PD: Si se puede armaría todo en base a este año de draft, Hornets es complicado atraer estrellas, bueno es momento de hacerlas y sumarlas a Ball y Miller.
De lo contrario traería alguna segunda o tercera espada por Mark Williams, Grant Williams, Nurkic. Dentro de esto un posible pivot joven, aun extraño a Jalen Duren que lo regalamos.
Otro PD: Oklahoma City Thunder se armaron de esa manera verdad. ¿Recuerdan cuando cambio todo por pick y más pick?
Bridges, Mark, Nurk, Green, maybe Okogie, all seem likely to be dealt. I expect Boss Peterson to be a major player this offseason. And I don’t expect the #4 pick to ever suit up for CLT
Please trade lamelo so he don’t rot here like kemba
we need to fire jeff peterson already and charles lee. terrible hires.
Building through the draft clearly hasn’t worked in over 10 years. Tired of loosing