The Charlotte Hornets were a major disappointment last season coming off a year in which they made the playoffs. With the addition of Lance Stephenson many expected the Hornets to be better and have a chance to win a series in last year's playoffs but things didn't quite work out. Stephenson had a dreadful year, Kemba Walker dealt with injuries and Al Jefferson also had a down year. Now the Hornets are trying to move in a different direction after the failed Stephenson experiment and one of the key pieces is ninth overall pick Frank Kaminsky.
When it was the Hornets turn to pick they reportedly had a huge offer from the Boston Celtics for the number nine pick but they turned it down. The reported deal was for four first-round picks and many of the Hornets executives liked the deal but owner Michael Jordan reportedly nixed the deal according to Zach Lowe of Grantland.com.
Jordan reportedly was locked in on taking Kaminsky with the number nine pick and reportedly preferred having him over four first round picks that were outside of the lottery. If the Celtics were to acquire the number nine pick they were reportedly set on taking Justise Winslow who ended up going tenth to the Miami Heat.
Lowe argues that Jordan turning down the Celtics offer would have made sense if the Hornets were getting a star with the number nine pick but they likely aren't and odds are the four players they would have taken with those other picks would have produced more combined than Kaminsky will.
Lowe has a great point here as Kaminsky has the potential to be a very good role player in the NBA but his ceiling isn't all that high for a top ten pick and his star potential is actually somewhat low. Jordan may see something in Kaminsky, and he possibly thinks that he is going to be a star in the league but clearly there are people within the organization that don't have that same thought process as they were willing to make the trade.
The deal would have given the Hornets two first-round picks this year and two future first-round picks. The 2015 first-round picks ended up being Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre and while they may not be as much of a sure thing as Kaminsky, Oubre definitely has more upside than Kaminsky does. MJ clearly thinks highly of Kaminsky and he could end up being right about turning down this trade, but he could also end up being very wrong. Only time will tell.
