Hornets make trade on draft night and pick up Mason Plumlee and a pick

The Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons are finalizing a trade to send former Duke center Mason Plumlee and the No. 37 pick in the 2021 NBA draft to the Hornets in exchange for their 57th pick, a league source confirmed.

With the trade, the Hornets now have the 37th and 56th picks in the draft after taking James Bouknight out of UConn in the first round 11th overall.

Plumlee, a 6-foot-11, 254-pound center, addresses the Hornets biggest need at center. Veterans Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller are both free agents and neither has provided the dominance in the post the Hornets need to compete in the Eastern Conference.

But Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said last week that the draft wasn’t deep with centers, so they wouldn’t chase one. Trading for Plumlee gave the Hornets flexibility, and allowed them to pick the best available player in shooting guard Bouknight.

Plumlee, 31, averaged 10.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season.

He is entering the second year of a three-year, $24.7 million contract.