re: Hornets what if game...What if they trade MT?

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Their strategy was get a good player and when he started peaking trade him for someone that wasn't as good.

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not quite. where the Hornets fricked up big time initially was giving LJ a 12 yr/ 84 mil contract extension (you read that right, 12 yrs) when he wasn't even about to become a FA. so then the time comes to pay Zo a couple yrs later and they couldn't afford both. that set a lotta stuff in motion that got fans pissed at em. I was still young in understanding the front ofc side of the NBA, but I knew that LJ deal was dumb even back then.

though I will say that the moves they made post LJ and Zo were generally good and kept the team in the playoffs. Kobe wasn't gonna play for em, so getting a good C in Divac for the 13th pick wasn't a bad move. somebody mentioned the Rice trade, but that wasn't just Eddie Jones (who was a young All Star at the time), it also got a Elden, who was still around a 15/10 guy.