In just about every mock draft you see, the Charlotte Hornets are projected to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe or Rutgers wing Ace Bailey. Some have Texas guard Tre Johnson or Duke sharpshooter Kon Knueppel being the pick if Edgecombe goes third overall to Philadelphia.
There aren’t many out there who see the Hornets taking a big swing on another center, but Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report and NBA TV does, predicting Khaman Maluach as the guy.
“The combine confirmed what scouts expected: Khaman Maluach has wild measurements, including 7’1″ size barefoot, a 7’7″ wingspan, a 9’6″ standing reach, and oversized hands that help him finish around the rim,” Wasserman said. “His pro day brought that size, length, and mobility to life, leaving some scouts picturing a top-five pick. Maluach was also able to showcase shotmaking skill that was masked during the season with Duke. The buzz and interest have been snowballing to the point where it seems like Maluach may be in play once Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are off the board.”
Taking Maluach may be a bit of a head-scratcher due to the Hornets already having three starting-caliber centers on the roster, but Jusuf Nurkic won’t be around for long, and Mark Williams could be on the way out the door again. If the team does plan to trade Williams, then the Maluach pick makes a lot of sense.
The thing is, Jeff Peterson probably has zero interest in moving Williams ahead of the draft because by doing so, he’d be tipping his hand. There will still be teams that have an interest in Williams after the draft, so by waiting, Peterson isn’t really losing any value in the expected return. We should have a pretty clear understanding of Williams’ future in Charlotte the minute the pick is revealed.
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