BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 06: Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the basket ... [+]
After losing All-Star point guard Kemba Walker in free agency, the Charlotte Hornets are barreling headfirst into what figures to be a painful, lengthy rebuild.
How head coach James Borrego and general manager Mitch Kupchak navigate the choppy waters this upcoming season will go a long way in determining just how quickly the Hornets can return to relevance.
Which teams look like contenders, and which look like pretenders? Check out Forbes' full NBA season preview, with best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios for all 30 teams.The Hornets lost their two leading scorers in Walker (25.6 points per game) and Jeremy Lamb (15.3 points per game) in free agency, which caused the franchise to re-evaluate its long-term trajectory.
"I think what we are doing, clearly, is transitioning from a team built around Kemba Walker to a team now built around our young players and the future," Kupchak told Hornets radio broadcaster John Focke in late September.
The Hornets acquired 25-year-old point guard Terry Rozier in a sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics and spent the No. 12 overall pick on Kentucky forward P.J. Washington. They also spent a pair of second-round picks on Nevada swingman Cody Martin and San Diego State forward Jalen McDaniels, but they otherwise laid low this offseason.
Best addition: P.J. Washington. The rookie missed Las Vegas Summer League with a foot injury, but he dazzled in his preseason debut against the Boston Celtics, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in less than 20 minutes.
"He's such a smart kid," Hornets forward Marvin Williams said after the game, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. "He goes through something one or two times, and he's got it."
Biggest loss: Kemba Walker. The three-time All-Star earned his first All-NBA nod last season after averaging a career-high 25.6 points on 43.4 percent shooting, 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 triples while playing in all 82 games. Rozier has massive shoes to fill in Charlotte.
In the wake of Walker's departure, the Hornets are ready to pivot into a youth movement.
"More than ever, these young guys are going to get a crack at minutes," Borrego told Bonnell in mid-September. "We're not going to have draft picks on our bench who are just sitting there. If they're not playing meaningful minutes for us in Charlotte, I promise you they will be playing minutes in Greensboro [with the Hornets' G League team]."
With veterans Bismack Biyombo, Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist entering the final year of their respective contracts, the Hornets are correctly prioritizing young players such as Washington, Miles Bridges and Malik Monk. It's imperative to figure out what they have in those guys and whether any of them can develop into long-term building blocks.
However, that doesn't mean Borrego plans to excise veterans from his rotation entirely.
"If I'm going to be a coach who says, 'Competition is the No. 1 thing on my board,' then I have to give (veterans) the ability to compete for minutes," he said in early October, per Bonnell. "I'm not strictly handing minutes to young guys. The young guys have to go earn this."
That approach is currying favor with the vets.
"J.B. has been amazing for us older guys. He's been straightforward with us, he told us the direction he's going in, and what he wants from us. That's all you can ask," Williams said in early October, per Bonnell. "We understand the situation. When we get our opportunities, we'll make the most of it."
Team MVP: Terry Rozier. He figures to be the Hornets' leading scorer by default. Can he shoot above 40 percent from the field for the first time in his career?
Best Value: Dwayne Bacon. The 2017 second-rounder should be a key bench cog for Charlotte this season, and he's earning only $1.6 million.
X-Factor: Malik Monk. The No. 11 pick from the 2017 draft has yet to take off during his two seasons with the Hornets, but the departures of Walker and Lamb open the door for Monk to become a primary scorer.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via It's a game of inches-and dollars. Get the latest sports news and analysis, once a week in your inbox, from the Forbes SportsMoney Playbook newsletter. Sign up here. or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Early Bird Rights.Rozier thrives in an expanded role, resembling the Scary Terry who led the Celtics to within one game of the 2018 NBA Finals. Washington, Bridges and Monk all cement themselves as long-term building blocks, and the Hornets flip some of their veterans at the trade deadline for future draft considerations and/or young prospects. The playoffs are still a pipe dream, but a 35-win season cements Charlotte as an up-and-coming team, and the draft-lottery gods reward the Hornets with a top-four pick.
Rozier continues to be a high-volume, low-efficiency stat-padder, dragging down the rest of the Hornets offense with him. None of Charlotte's young players stand out as long-term difference-makers, and the Hornets can't get anything of value for their veterans at the trade deadline. They finish with the league's worst record but slip to No. 5 during the draft lottery, ensuring they won't get a top-tier star prospect to build around in 2020 and beyond.
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