If I were a Hornets fan, I would be more concerned about Brandon Miller. He only managed 27 games this season but his performances in that period were poor.
He is scoring 21ppg which at first looks good until you see his inefficiency. He is taking 18 FGAs (huge number) with a FG% of only 41%. He is taking 10.9 3PTA just behind LaMelo's 11.6 3PTA despite B Miller hitting only 35.5% 3PT%. He never gets to the foul line in large part due to his huge volume of three point attempts. Only 2.9 FTA versus 18.0 FGA which is a terrible figure. A terrible figure for any player nevermind an athletic 6-9 wing. Overall, his TS% is a match for LaMelo at 54% which we learn from the post above ranks B Miller 339th in the league.
Then you look at his
* Rebounding - only 4.9rpg in 34.2mpg. This is just below LaMelo at 5.1rpg in 2 less minutes per game. This 4.9rpg is below par for a SF and particularly poor for a player who is as tall, long and athletic as B Miller is.
* Defense - well below average defender. Too skinny. Lightweight. Gets pushed around like a ragdoll.
* Passing - 3.6apg which is okay but in comparison to (a) turnovers at 2.8 per game shows limited quality. Barely over a 1:1 AST:TOV ratio which is the standard for a center not a skilled SF. (b) shot attempts with 18 FGA vs 3.6 shows a selfish gunner.
I would be open to trading B Miller while he still has good trade value if I were the Hornets. If he doesn't show major improvement in the next 1-2 years, his value will plummet.
And I am not a believer that he will show such improvement. I am disappointed in his lack of improvement physically (muscle, weight gain), shot selection, defense, rebounding, passing, scoring efficiency. He is not a top 20 SF despite putting up 21ppg. He only cares about how many points he gets. Not wins. Not team play. Not doing the gritty hard yards.
They could probably get a better player than him if they traded him this offseason. Someone will buy on his potential as a 6-9 athletic SF who can shoot 3s and score 20+ppg. Get a better running mate for LaMelo while adding a likely top 5 pick to their roster through the draft. Give them 3 solid players to build around.
