NBA free agency: New York Knicks veteran guard would be a perfect fit for Hornets

A lot of work needs to be done before the Charlotte Hornets can feel like they have a shot to truly compete in the Eastern Conference and not be looking ahead to "next year" by January. Health of the roster is the main ingredient, but adding more quality and reliable bench players is second on that list.

Sure, adding a big-time superstar would be nice in all, but at this stage in the rebuild, that's just not feasible.

Veteran guard Cam Payne of the New York Knicks will be hitting free agency once again this offseason, and while returning to New York makes a lot of sense, the Hornets should at least consider going after the soon-to-be 31-year-old.

Why?

Well, it's pretty simple. He's an excellent three-point shooter, shooting 36% from deep for his career, understands the importance of defense, would be fairly cheap, and has been a part of winning basketball. He's not a lockdown defender by any means, but he's going to give you more on that end than Seth Curry, Nick Smith Jr., Tre Mann, K.J. Simpson, and just about most of every backcourt piece the Hornets currently have on the roster.

If Charlotte were to pursue and land Payne, it likely means Seth Curry would be the odd man out. The Hornets don't appear to be interested in moving any of their young guards and by swapping out Curry for Payne, you have improved defense and get a player who is four years younger.

It's not a franchise-altering move, but it would certainly elevate the play of the Hornets' bench.

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