Three Key Concerns Charlotte Hornets Need To Address This Offseason

The Charlotte Hornets had their second taste of play-in basketball this season, and it would end the same way with them falling out of contention once again.

Hope was renewed in this Hornets team this season after the promising development of young guns Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball, but they must now look to address their future in the coming offseason.

Here are three things they need to address as quickly as possible.

Right Free Agents

Against the Atlanta Hawks, one could draw the assumption that the Hornets simply did not care to make the postseason as they were absolutely blown out of the water with a score of 132-102 once the final whistle blew.

The Hornets have absolutely no problems on the offensive end as they are rife with talent on that side of the ball, but they do need to bring in players who specialize in defense.

Re-signing unrestricted free-agent center Montrezl Harrell and forward Jalen McDaniels should be a priority while also looking to bring in guys like Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Jackson, Avery Bradley and Damian Jones to help shore up the defense.

Keeping Mitch Kupchak

After his championship-winning tenure as the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kupchak was brought into Charlotte in the hopes of building a contender with the right moves.

He has done that so far in drafting Bridges, Ball and P.J. Washington while also bringing in veterans like Terry Rozier and enigmatic small forward Kelly Oubre Jr.

However, rumors of uncertainty about the future in Kupchak’s future with the Hornets have been swirling around and may be coming to a crescendo this offseason.

Hornets owner Michael Jordan must do everything he can to keep Kupchak as they build towards an even brighter future.

Playoff-Proven Veteran Presence

The road to building a playoff-worthy team always consists of a healthy mix of veterans and budding stars, and the latter is what they already have.

Kupchak and the Hornets already have a blueprint in place to imitate the league-leading Phoenix Suns who are in prime contention for an NBA title this season.

Bringing in established veterans like the ones mentioned in the first section to help mentor guys like Bridges and Ball while also raising their floor talent can expedite their playoff contention hopes.

Rozier and Oubre have already been doing a great job in leading this team and establishing team chemistry thanks to their big personalities, but a guiding hand in the form of a veteran like Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo or Thaddeus Young shows that this team wants to become a yearly postseason threat.