Hornets and Blazers make series of moves in attempt to avoid rebuilds
The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers made moves prior to and on draft day in order to prevent the dreaded rebuilding process.
Here's a recap of each team's transactions.
Hornets and Blazers collaborate on 3-player swap
June 24: Hornets get Nicolas Batum from Blazers for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson
The Hornets and Blazers scratched each other's backs on this one.
As the Hornets continue to revamp their roster, they receive a proven player in Nicolas Batum who can contribute right away. He'll serve as a mentor to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and his ability to play tough perimeter defense and fill up the stat sheet will make Hornets head coach Steve Clifford happy.
Replacing Batum may fall to Gerald Henderson, a serviceable wing for Charlotte over the past few seasons. An athletic slasher by nature, Henderson will provide some much-needed aggression for the Blazers' backcourt squad. Not nearly the defender Batum is, Henderson's still capable of guarding most wings.
The Blazers prepare for life after LaMarcus Aldridge ("L.A.L.A.") as they bring in little-used power forward Noah Vonleh, Charlotte's No. 9 pick in last year's draft. Although Vonleh had virtually no opportunities in Charlotte to showcase the shooting touch and rebounding prowess he displayed during his lone year in college, next season will be his chance. He'll likely share minutes with Meyers Leonard, Chris Kaman (if the Blazers pick up his team option), newly acquired Mason Plumlee (more on him below), and Robin Lopez (if re-signed).
Charlotte Hornets
June 15: Lance Stephenson to Clippers for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes
The Hornets finally found a taker for the enigmatic guard in the Los Angeles Clippers. Lance Stephenson never proved himself a good fit for the Hornets. Coming over from the Indiana Pacers after a couple of impressive seasons, he failed to live up to his three-year, $27-million contract.
This deal essentially landed the Hornets "stretch five" Spencer Hawes. He had a forgettable campaign with the Clippers, but has the ability to rebound and shoot from long distance as he looks for a bounce-back year. Charlotte also traded Matt Barnes to the Memphis Grizzlies, which provided the Hornets with some minor cap relief.
June 25: Jeremy Lamb arrives in exchange for Luke Ridnour and second-round pick
The Hornets swapped Luke Ridnour, who they'd received in exchange for Barnes from the Grizzlies, for the Oklahoma City Thunder's Jeremy Lamb. Charlotte also included their 2016 second-round pick in the deal.
While not the sexiest deal, it should provide Lamb, who was rarely used in OKC, with an opportunity to find some playing time behind Kidd-Gilchrist and Batum.
Future outlook: After drafting Frank Kaminsky, Charlotte now has a surplus of lanky wing players and stretch-fours: Kidd-Gilchrist, Batum, Lamb, Jeffery Taylor, Cody Zeller, and Marvin Williams. They'll have to move a couple of these players in order to provide sufficient playing time for Batum and room to develop the likes of MKG, Lamb, and Kaminsky. Hence, the rumors of the Hornets trying to shop Zeller.
These moves likely won't propel Buzz City to a deep playoff run next season. However, ridding themselves of Stephenson, bringing in do-it-all veteran Batum, and drafting Frank the Tank were solid improvements that will contribute to a brighter future in North Carolina.
Portland Trail Blazers
June 25: Goodbye, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake. Hello, Mason Plumlee and Pat Connaughton
Depending on who you believe, Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge is a goner, and the Blazers, it seems, recognized the inevitability of L.A.'s departure.
They acquired center/forward Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to guard/forward Pat Connaughton from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for guard Steve Blake and the draft rights to forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Although Hollis-Jefferson projects to be a solid pro, the Blazers are hoping to remain relevant in a deep Western Conference, and see Plumlee as an attractive front-line contributor.
Connaughton, who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles last year and recorded an astounding 44-inch vertical in this year's NBA Draft Combine, is a talented athlete and may find some minutes behind Gerald Henderson.
Future outlook: Should Aldridge leave Portland high and dry, the Blazers' 2015-16 outlook isn't stellar (barring any significant free-agent acquisitions this summer), as they'll struggle to keep up with 9-10 other powerful rosters in the Western Conference.