CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak was a busy man Thursday night. The Hornets selected guard James Bouknight from Connecticut with the No. 11 pick and acquired a pair of centers via trade.
At Connecticut, Bouknight averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31.7 minutes per game during the 2020-21 season.
"My heart just dropped," Bouknight said, describing his reaction to the pick. "I didn't know whether to smile or cry, I just kept it cool. I'm definitely excited, I'm happy to be a Hornet."
Kupchak acquired veteran center Mason Plumlee from the Detroit Pistons before the draft, then traded away a future first-round pick to the New York Knicks for the 19th overall pick and got Texas center Kai Jones, according a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the trades have not yet been made official.
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