Hornets mailbag: Go with Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson? Trade for Jaylen Brown?

Barely three weeks.

That’s how much time remains until the Charlotte Hornets officially go on the clock at the NBA Draft on June 22. Who will they select No. 2 overall and what will they do with the other four picks they have at their disposal?

Of course, there are plenty of questions leading up to Charlotte’s selection. So, in this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries regarding whether the Hornets should draft Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, Henderson’s workout date, a hypothetical trade for Boston’s Jaylen Brown featuring Gordon Hayward and more.

Who do you think is the better fit and the better talent of the two talked about prospects? I feel as if Brandon Miller is not only easily the best prospect ... but when factoring the team even more so. – @Ezell704 via Twitter

The decision is probably not as cut and dry as it might appear externally. Yes, Brandon Miller seems like the most logical fit because you can plug him in at the wing. And the whole argument about Scoot Henderson not being able to play with another point guard is helping push the narrative. But there are other factors that have to be considered, including the future composition of the Hornets’ roster. What does their frontline look like in September when training camp begins? Are Miles Bridges and PJ Washington a part of it?

If that’s the case, as the Observer has been reporting, then how do the Hornets reconfigure a potential logjam at small forward? What does that also mean for Cody Martin if he’s healthy?

So, which guy should the Hornets should go with, you ask? We’ll get more into it over the coming weeks, but from this vantage point, a tandem of LaMelo Ball and Scoot Henderson would be excitingly intriguing if nothing else.

When is Scoot’s Hornet workout? – @buzzboys619 via Twitter

It’s not confirmed yet. When we know the day, you can find it right here. There’s a reason the exact date of a player’s workout isn’t typically revealed until the day of. There are a number of things that can arise ahead of any proposed date so until it’s completely locked in it’s too early to tell. But the wait shouldn’t be all that long given he was in Portland a few days ago. He’s from Marietta, Ga. and can get here in a blink.

Would it be worthwhile for the Hornets to trade Gordon Hayward and the second pick to Boston for Jaylen Brown? – @Tom_72454 via Twitter

Now that’s a question with a few moving parts. First, it’s certainly not a given Boston would really want Gordon Hayward back in a trade. It’s not a completely crazy idea given the obvious ties to the organization with him playing there for three seasons before opting out and signing with the Hornets in 2020. His college coach (Brad Stevens) also is running the Celtics’ front office.

Yes, Hayward’s contract is expiring. But the Celtics would likely want a better compensation package for a player who is all-NBA and eligible for a max contract extension this summer. And from the Hornets’ vantage point, they have to wonder if Brown would really see himself in Charlotte long term. So, while it’s not the wildest of scenarios, unless Brown gives the Hornets some assurance he’d stay beyond next season, it’s probably not something both sides would strongly contemplate. At least not for that proposed package.

Will the Hornets be looking into getting some more veterans into the team through trades or free agency? – @JayX7_ via Twitter

Not sure how they can’t. Even though he took some flack among the fan base, Mason Plumlee was a respected veteran presence in the locker room and the Hornets miss his voice. They need someone else beyond Hayward, who likely won’t be here beyond his current contract, and Terry Rozier (who is more of a show and lead by example kind of guy). Supplementing this current group with someone who’s been part of a playoff run and has the experience that’s lacking among this contingent as composed right now is imperative. There really is no choice.

How does the team feel about their chances for really competing for the playoffs next year? -- @truzzbuzz via Twitter

Make no mistake about it, the Hornets know they have to get to the playoffs next season for a number of reasons. The jobs of many, for one, are on the line since the franchise now owns the longest postseason drought of any NBA team. As for their future playoff chances, there won’t be any clarity until the roster is fully put together. And we are well over a month away from seeing a final product.

Will the Hornets hire an assistant to fill the spot left by Jay Hernandez? @ahura23– via Twitter

It seems that’s the way things are leaning. Hernandez’s absence may not be noticed externally, but it will be felt within the Hornets organization. He’s back in his native New York after landing a position as a key assistant on Jacque Vaughn’s staff in Brooklyn.

Hernandez was instrumental in the development of several of the Hornets’ younger players. The team will have to replace that somehow and will likely fill that spot in the coming weeks. It’s too early to say who will step in and what their role will include. Often, some of the final spots on coaching staffs are sewed up during the Las Vegas Summer League. But it shouldn’t extend beyond that.