Hornets mailbag: What to make of Kai Jones’ minutes and who could be a trade candidate?

It’s hard to believe, but the Charlotte Hornets are already five weeks into their season and have played more than one-fifth of their games.

Still, it seems like there are still more questions than answers with coach Steve Clifford’s crew. They have plenty of things to address over the coming days, weeks and months.

In this latest mailbag, we dive into Kai Jones’ recent uptick in playing time, who could be had for the right price before the February trade deadline, should they try to tank for Victor Wembanyama and more.

When will Nick Richards be the starting center for the Hornets? — @Georwill1 via Twitter

First let me say that it’s amazing how quickly things have changed. People were up in arms early in training camp when Steve Clifford said Richards was in the lead for the reserve center spot. Many were upset he leapfrogged rookie Mark Williams. But through the season’s first five weeks Richards has been one of the Hornets’ best players. To predict the exact moment or game he could slide into the starting role, you’d have to be Nostradamus.

But I can definitely see Clifford inserting him into the starting lineup at some point this season. It makes too much sense not to consider Mason Plumlee is in the final year of his deal and they will likely want to see precisely how Richards fits in with the starting group, and if he can hold his own against starting centers the way he’s taking it to the backups. Clifford was incensed about their lack of toughness and perhaps that leads to a shakeup sooner than later. It’s something to keep an eye on.

Is there a timeline for LaMelo Ball? — @ddefranzo22 via Twitter

Once more with feeling: no. The Hornets never — repeat never — give an exact time frame for injured players for several reasons and that won’t change this time around. My guess is he’s going to sit out until the chance of re-injuring it again in the freak way he did against Indiana has drastically subsided. If you remember, he said after his season debut in Miami that he probably wouldn’t have returned just yet if Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t sprain his ankle two nights earlier. Speed and fearlessness getting into the lane are two of Ball’s biggest strengths and if he can’t explode with confidence while worrying about soreness he’s not going to be himself.

Thoughts on Kai Jones’ playing time during relevant minutes? — @hornets_fan_12 via Twitter

Kai has been exactly what they’ve needed when he’s been summoned by Clifford for those recent spot minutes off the bench. He’s an energetic, spry individual with exciting potential. He just needs to develop an outside game to make the opposition respect his full offensive repertoire, giving him room to drive to the basket for one of his filthy dunks.

I know we are so far away from this but in 80 days is the NBA trade deadline. What Hornets players will garner a lot of interest from other teams? Are there any untouchables beside LaMelo? — @SkulaTom via Twitter

Ball is obviously the only untouchable. From my perspective, anyone else can be had for the right price but it also depends on how the Hornets’ talent is viewed around the league. Their top commodity is probably PJ Washington. His versatility, youth, and relatively low contract number — although he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer — make him attractive to teams looking to add a multi-dimensional player. Smith’s renaissance season could also make him a coveted option for a playoff contender looking to add size and experience in the back court. His non-guaranteed one-year deal makes him a steal.

Why aren’t we playing our young guys consistent minutes? Is this front office really thinking they want to try and get a playing spot? — @and_hennessy via Twitter

Yes, the Hornets have lost a lot more than they’ve won this season, so far. However, thinking they should just start playing younger guys on the roster — when the season is not even 25% complete — is kind of ludicrous. If the Hornets really felt playing some of their younger guys on the roster would give them a better chance of winning, then they would be out there. It’s way too premature to just throw your hands up and give up on the season. They have too many veteran players and a coach who could be on his final opportunity to solidify his legacy in the league to simply give up.

Does James Bouknight belong in the rotation? — @ColbyT211 via Twitter

It’s been a real struggle for him in his second year. His game wasn’t right during the preseason, long before his DWI arrest just days before the season opener, and he hasn’t shown much during the 16.9 minutes he’s averaged per game. It’s a little strong to say he doesn’t belong but he hasn’t done enough to completely remain entrenched in the rotation. His effectiveness hasn’t matched that of Smith or Theo Maledon. And although they play different positions than Bouknight, their ball-handling skills provides Clifford with more backcourt combination options.

Time to Brick for Vic? — @SaludNODA via Twitter

As we’ve previously written, while tanking for Victor Wembanyama that may sound good in theory it doesn’t make a lot of sense considering the way the Hornets built up their fan and season-ticket base. Punting on the season to get a 14% chance of landing the top overall pick doesn’t guarantee they will actually get it. The team that finishes fourth still has a 12.5% chance of winning and the fifth-place team stands at 10.5%.

Remember when the Hornets landed Ball in 2020? What was their chance of moving up in the lottery then when they jumped up five spots? They had just a 6.7% shot at getting the No. 3 selection and a 26.2% chance to slide into the top four. In fact, the franchise’s largest leaps in the lottery have come when they’ve had roughly a 7% chance or more.

So no one is saying they are guaranteed to do it again, but trying to ensure they finish with one of the league’s worst three records is the last thing Clifford will be trying to do. He didn’t want to be a part of a rebuild in Orlando and it’s not in his makeup to purposely lose. That’s not happening.

Roderick Boone

The Charlotte Observer

Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly. Support my work with a digital subscription