Assessing Bleacher Report’s Kelly Oubre Jr. trade for the Milwaukee Bucks

The Charlotte Hornets’ POV on Bleacher Report’s proposed Kelly Oubre trade with the Milwaukee Bucks

While the Milwaukee Bucks are in the hunt for wings this offseason, the Charlotte Hornets need to add a household center. Prior to the February trade deadline, they were linked to several names in the rumor mill, but they ultimately stood pat, likely waiting to make a splash during the offseason. Adding someone like Brook Lopez could be a feasible move as they target a man in the middle.

Adding a player like Lopez could immediately help solve one of Charlotte’s biggest issues, which is their lack of interior protection defensively. They ranked 20th in opponent points per game during the 2021-22 regular season, having surrendered 48.1 on average. The Bucks have been one of the best teams in the association at protecting the interior under Budenholzer, largely due to Lopez’s imposing presence defensively down low. The veteran big man could hypothetically provide that same defensive presence in Charlotte, which would make them more formidable on impact.

Even though losing Oubre would hurt, given how sizeable of a role he played last year, this would be a win-now move for Charlotte. After two consecutive years of losing in the play-in tournament, the Hornets need to make a move to try and get over the hump next season, and upgrading at the center position seems like the most obvious area to address. Adding a solid veteran like Lopez that brings championship experience to one of the NBA’s youngest rosters and patches up one of their most prominent flaws falls into that category of making a win-now move for next season.

Better yet, if they are able to add a second round pick in a deal, even if it is not too valuable, that is still a win.