Options for Charlotte Hornets with No. 4 Pick

At Monday’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Charlotte Hornets were one of a few rebuilding teams that didn’t see a drastic fall.

The likes of Dallas, San Antonio and Philadelphia rose — all teams who could contend as early as next season — and teams like Utah, Washington, New Orleans, Brooklyn and Toronto all fell further then they would’ve liked.

Charlotte avoided major disaster, landing the No. 4 pick in a talented draft, and is now tasked with hunting down the best options for its currently oddly-built team.

Here’s three options for Charlotte with pick No. 4:

Tre Johnson, Texas

Having averaged more points than any other true freshman this year, Tre Johnson makes plenty of sense betwixt LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller as a lengthy two-guard.

He’s a legitimate three-level scorer, needing some work around the rim, but as potent as shooter as they come at 40% on nearly seven attempts per game.

Johnson has legitimate star-level potential as a scorer, and if he can continue to iron the fringes of his game — passing, defense and more — he would fit nicely in the Hornets core.

VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Assuming Rutgers wing Ace Bailey is off the board at No. 3, that would leave Baylor guard-wing hybrid VJ Edgecombe hanging around for Charlotte.

At 6-foot-5, Edgecombe is highly versatile, with the swiftness to play big guard, but the pure athleticism and physicality to size up to wing. He’s fueled by speed and leaping, using both to nab transition points, take off in spot-up situations or nab stocks on the defensive end.

If Charlotte is looking for an all-around middle-man between Ball and Miller, Edgecombe — tenacity and all — certainly fits the bill.

Khaman Maluach, Duke

If Charlotte is wanting to go in an entirely different direction, Duke 7-footer Khaman Maluach is certainly that.

At a legit 7-foot-2, Maluach anchored the Final Four squad with potent rim-running and shot-blocking, averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just over 20 minutes per contest. He projects to do similar things at the NBA level, using his immense length and growing feel for the game to be an interior presence. 

The Hornets have already shown they’re not married to their current front court — having nearly traded off Mark Williams to the Lakers — so swinging on another Duke center is plausible. Espcially one that continues with the trend of the team’s positional size and versatility.

No. 3 is slightly rich for Maluach, but he’s sure to have his fair share of fans in NBA decision-makers. And it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility.