NBA Draft Lottery 2018: Who each team should take with the No. 1 pick
By Ian Levy
11. Charlotte Hornets — DeAndre Ayton (0.8% chance)
The Charlotte Hornets roster is flush with centers — Dwight Howard, Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky and Willy Hernangomez. However, no one in that group is good enough to demand a hand in shaping the future of the organization. Outside of Kemba Walker, there is nothing really foundational on this roster — just role players, some more useful than others, all holding some degree of replaceability.
Ayton is potentially a game-changing talent, an elite center with size, athleticism and a polished offensive game. He’s already a strong low post scorer, but also has a confident perimeter jumpshot and mobility which could be leveraged as a roll-man or by facing-up. There are plenty of questions about his defensive upside but those are mostly irrelevant to the Hornets.
Charlotte wants to get better before they have to make a move with Walker, and Ayton’s upside is potentially as high as anyone’s in this draft. The Hornets shouldn’t be worried about fit as much as raising their hypothetical ceiling.