A System With Teeth

The headline in the New York paper read: HORNETS STING GARDEN, AND THIS TIME IT IS NOT A TYPO. Daniel should have enjoyed it. Instead he spent the flight home studying cap tables. The trade deadline approached like a storm with paperwork. Charlotte owned expiring contracts, two extra protected firsts from the Harlan deal, and a handful of second-round picks. Fans wanted a star. Radio hosts demanded a star. A star would validate the turnaround, sell tickets, and give the team a face casual viewers understood. Daniel did not want a face. He wanted pressure points. A movement shooter who could survive defensively. A backup guard who would not panic under playoff traps. Another forward with enough size to keep Tyrese from guarding giants every night.