GM Mitch Kupchak details which position Hornets will likely address at No. 11

Five things learned at Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak’s pre-draft media availability Tuesday.

- He said it's unlikely the will Hornets trade the 11^th overall pick. He does think there could be some trades in the top 10, but it doesn’t sound like he sees it as likely the Hornets would move up or down.

- He thinks it’s likely the Hornets will select a guard or a wing player with the 11^th pick. That indicates he thinks the five big men who have drawn so much attention in this draft run-up will all be selected top-10.

- In response to a question about a need urgent enough that it must be addressed before training camp, Kupchak said he anticipates the team adding at least one ball-handling guard. That could be via the draft, free agency or a trade.

- He said not having worked out a player (such as Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, for instance) would not preclude him from drafting that player. He also said the team has all the medical information it needs regarding candidates for the 11^th pick (including Missouri’s Michael Porter, who missed all but three games last season due to a back injury).

- He said it’s a distinct possibility the player the Hornets choose 55^th overall could be playing in Europe and spends another season or more there before the Hornets would look to sign him. (The NBA slang for this maneuver is draft-and-stash.)

This story was originally published June 19, 2018 at 12:17 PM with the headline "GM Mitch Kupchak details which position Hornets will likely address at No. 11."