These first-round NBA Draft pick combinations could take the Hornets to the next level

Holding the No. 14 and 18 picks, the Charlotte Hornets are one of the more intriguing teams in this year's NBA Draft cycle. Charlotte is coming off a successful season in which they were a game away from making the playoffs and posted the second-best net rating since the turn of the calendar.

With Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller, the Hornets have a fantastic young trio. Still, they could benefit from some depth, particularly at the wing/forward position. Luckily, with two top 20 picks, the Hornets have the ideal chance to do just that. 

Dailyn Swain and Allen Graves

Under Jeff Peterson, the Hornets have become known for being one of the more analytically slanted front offices. As such, it only feels right for them to land two of the more analytically friendly players, right? 

Make no mistake, though, Texas wing Dailyn Swain, and Santa Clara forward/big man Allen Graves can flat-out play. Just as importantly, both players can fill clear voids for the Hornets.

Swain offers star-level upside given his elite self-creation and slashing abilities. Per CBB Shot Charts, just 17 percent of Swain's rim field goals were assisted, and 19.9 percent of his overall rim field goals were assisted. Plus, his playmaking, ideal size, and defense create a path for him to simply be a high-end complementary wing.

The main concern with Swain is shooting, but the Hornets have the offensive ecosystem to make up for this red flag. In terms of finding someone who offers both star upside and plug-and-play abilities, Swain is a great bet at the end of the lottery. 

Graves saw a meteoric rise in large part due to his stellar analytics, ranking in the 98th percentile for box-plus-minus and the 97th percentile for offensive box-plus-minus. His impact isn't just seen on a spreadsheet, though. Graves has an outstanding feel for the game on both ends of the floor. 

Shooting 41.3 percent from deep range, Graves can space the floor. He's also a capable play-finisher inside, and as an off-ball defender, he can wreak havoc, as evidenced by his 2.8 stocks per game. 

While he needs to work on his defensive discipline, Graves could be an intriguing small-ball five-option. His floor spacing and feel as a playmaker give him a different element than Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkberner. Ultimately, whether he plays the four alongside these big men or transitions to a true big man role, Graves is a seamless fit with Charlotte.

Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr.

Who doesn't love a couple of college teammates sticking together, am I right? Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. proved to be an ideal fit alongside each other during Michigan's national championship run. As the Hornets try to bolster their forward room and defense, drafting Lendeborg and Johnson would be a dream outcome. 

Both players offer elite defense with impressive versatility and physicality. Johnson is a switchable rim protector with a stout frame and fantastic length (7-foot-3.5 wingspan) in a similar mold to Bam Adebayo and Isaiah Stewart. He can toggle between the four and the five, given his blend of mobility and rim protection. Lendeborg is more equipped to shut down opposing forwards while playing disruptive off-ball defense. 

Offensively, Johnson is more of a play-finisher, while Lendeborg offers more juice as a creator and playmaker, along with improved shooting. Crucially, both players are comfortable playing off the ball and allowing the Hornets' established talent to initiate more of the offense.

The Hornets are likely searching for an immediate infusion of frontcourt talent as they try to become a legitimate playoff team, and there's arguably no better bet than Lendeborg and Johnson. This is particularly the case for Lendeborg, who will be 24 before he makes his NBA debut.

Lendeborg's floor could very well be Charlotte at 14, while 18 feels like a highly realistic spot for Johnson. 

Cameron Carr and Hannes Steinbach

Drafting Cameron Carr and Hannes Steinbach would be a similar (albeit slightly different) path to the aforementioned Swain-Graves pairing. Carr offers plug-and-play upside as a wing while Steinbach is a versatile option to bolster the Hornets' frontcourt.

Charlotte ranked second in 3-point frequency this past season, and Carr is an ideal option to double down on this 3-point-centric identity. The Baylor product shot 37.4 percent on 6.1 3s per game. Carr offers high-end spot-up shooting with some creation abilities as well. 

His 7-foot wingspan (which makes him a formidable defensive playmaker) and 42.5-inch vertical further add to his projection as a quality complementary wing. And at 21 years old, he has plenty of polish. The thought of Carr and Coby White running the Hornets' second unit is tantalizing. 

Steinbach's elite college production doesn't get talked about enough. The Washington big man averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds (which led the entire country. His lack of perceived upside might help him fall to Charlotte at pick 18, and they won't complain about landing a versatile plug-and-play big man. 

In addition to his elite rebounding and quality rim protection, Steinbach is an efficient play-finisher inside who also flashed some floor spacing upside. While the big man duo of Diabate and Kalkberner is solid, landing a big man who can play alongside or apart from them can't hurt. 

When it's all said and done, there are several avenues for the Hornets to walk out of the draft as major winners. 

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