Michael Jordan stalled sale of Charlotte Hornets in hope of Victor Wembenyama
According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Michael Jordan was unsure of whether to proceed with the sale of a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets until he saw the results of the 2023 NBA draft lottery.
"Adrian Wojnarowski reported in March that Michael Jordan is in 'serious talks to sell a majority stake in the franchise to a group led by Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin and Atlanta Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall,'" Givony wrote. "Jordan was awaiting the possibility of landing the No. 1 pick before deciding whether to proceed with a sale, sources told ESPN.
"It remains to be seen whether moving up to No. 2 changes that plan and what the timetable might look like if a sale did occur, as well as how that might affect the front offices' decision-making process in regard to who to draft."
Despite missing out on the No. 1 pick, and a shot at landing French phenom Victor Wembenyama, the Charlotte Hornets did rise in the draft lottery. Entering the night, the Eastern Conference team was slated to receive the fourth pick in the draft but found themselves ending the day with the second selection.
As such, the Hornets will now have a legitimate chance of finding a future star to pair with budding superstar guard LaMelo Ball. Of course, the debate surrounding whether Scoot Henderson should be the Hornets' pick will now rage on until draft night.
Many experts have since stated that the Charlotte Hornets should look beyond Henderson due to the cross-over in skillsets between him and LaMelo Ball.
Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball expected to sign contract extension
Since being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, LaMelo Ball has proven himself to be a box office talent. Flashy on the ball, amazing passing ability and court vision, and seemingly limitless range from deep, LaMelo Ball has all the talents to be a superstar in the NBA.
However, given the Hornets' continued struggles in the Eastern Conference, there have been concerns that LaMelo could look to leave the franchise in the near future.
Fortunately, it appears those concerns could be put to rest in the coming months. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, LaMelo Ball is likely to sign a contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets during the upcoming offseason.
“I don’t believe there’s a clear-cut favorite after [Victor] Wembanyama,” Marks wrote. “There’s an argument that Charlotte should not go [Scoot] Henderson with LaMelo Ball on the roster and likely to sign an extension in the offseason.”
Assuming that LaMelo Ball does commit his immediate future to the Hornets, it's likely that Mitch Kupchak will begin rebuilding the team's roster around their star guard. Of course, any roster reconstruction would likely spell the end of Gordon Hayward's and Terry Rozier's tenure with the Hornets, as they would both be significant trade chips this summer.
Furthermore, the Hornets will be hoping they can draft intelligently this year, boasting two first-round picks, second and 27th, giving them two chances to draft potential stars of the future.