The Charlotte Hornets and therefore the Detroit Pistons are finalizing a trade to send former Duke center Mason Plumlee and the No. 37 picks within the 2021 NBA draft to the Hornets in exchange for his or her 57th pick, a league source confirmed. With the trade, the Hornets now have the 37th and 56th picks within the draft after taking James Bouknight out of UConn within the first round 11th overall.
Plumlee, a 6-foot-11, 254-pound center, addresses the Hornet’s biggest need at center. Veterans Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller are both free agents and neither has provided the dominance within the post the Hornets got to compete within the Eastern Conference. But Hornets head Mitch Kupchak said last week that the draft wasn’t deep with centers, in order that they wouldn’t chase one. Trading for Plumlee gave the Hornets flexibility and allowed them to select the simplest available player in shooting guard Bouknight. Plumlee, 31, averaged 10.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and three .6 assists last season. he’s entering the second year of a three-year, $24.7 million contract.
