The Charlotte Hornets’ bad injury luck has struck once again. Big man Nick Richards will be out for the foreseeable future due to a rib cartilage fracture sustained in a game against the Boston Celtics, while supposed starting center Mark Williams is still nursing a foot injury. The Hornets might need another NBA-level big to have a shot at consistently winning games in the next few weeks, especially with Miles Bridges out as well.

The problem is, what the Hornets are looking for is one of the scarcest player profiles in the whole association. There are multiple teams around the league that have settled for sub-par bigs, even some with playoff-aspirations. The New Orleans Pelicans have put all of their trust in aging veteran Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi. The New York Knicks are one injury to Karl-Anthony Towns away from being in the same boat as the Hornets. Keeping those circumstances in mind, here are some possible targets for Charlotte to pursue.

The brother of this year’s second pick, Alex Sarr, Olivier is currently a free agent after spending three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his time there, he played 46 regular-season NBA games (15 last season). He also suited up for the Thunder’s G-League squad, leading the Oklahoma City Blue to a title. In the deciding game of the finals, he tore his Achilles, which has kept him from getting re-signed by the Thunder.

That injury happened about seven months ago, so it’s not unlikely that he’s finished his recovery process by now and is ready to find a new team. What makes Sarr an enticing prospect is his ability to stretch the floor somewhat. He’s a career 37.2% shooter in the NBA (16/43) and a 35.2% shooter in the G-League (32/91). At age 25, he would bring some experience while still possessing the upside to become more than a fill-in.

Another free agent, Bismack Biyombo also spent a part of his last year under contract in Oklahoma. Unlike Sarr, he’s in the twilight of his career as a 32-year-old who’s complete lack of floor spacing doesn’t really fit in todays era. But his solid defense, especially at the rim, has kept him in the NBA up to this point and he would probably be able to provide a few solid minutes in the upcoming weeks.

What makes this addition likely is Biyombo’s history with the Hornets. The Congolese big started his NBA career in Charlotte all the way back in 2011, as part of the infamous 7-59 Bobcats roster. Following two short stints in Toronto and Orlando, Bismack came back to uptown in 2018 and stayed for another three years. A second return doesn’t seem impossible.

Trades are a rarity at this time of the year. Even if teams decide they need a new impulse this early on, many players have just signed new contracts and can’t be moved. That’s not the case for Reath though, who signed a contract extension all the way back in February. It came in the midst of an impressive rookie season for the undrafted 28-year-old, who averaged nine points and a bit under four rebounds while making 36.1% of his 3.6 three-point attempts per game.

But now that the Trailblazers have drafted Donovan Clingan and the duo of Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III is healthy, Reath seems to be losing ground quickly. He has only appeared in five games so far, racking up around 16 minutes of play in total. To get him, the Hornets could give up DaQuan Jeffries and throw in some draft capital.

The Hornets have had a very kind schedule since losing their big men. Detroit was without it’s nominal center Jalen Duren for most of that game and the Pacers frontcourt doesn’t posess much of an inside presence anyway. At the same time Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson have done a formidable job considering their original expectations heading into the season.

But if Jeff Peterson decides to stay with this roster, more skilled and dominant bigs will have their way with the Hornets. Naz Reid was able to do so on monday, scoring 25 points on great efficiency. In the next five games, LaMelo and Co. will face forces like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Andre Drummond. Getting another body to throw at them is certainly on Petersons mind, and there are some viable options on the market.

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