5 Best Value Free Agents for Charlotte Hornets to Pursue in 2015 NBA Free Agency

The NBA free-agency period is fun for everyone, except for the few squads without the means to participate. The Charlotte Hornets are one of those franchises the bouncer (in this case the salary cap) just will not let into the club. Without the resources to haul in a true game-changer, what is a team to do?

HoopsHype.com has the Hornets sitting at $71 million in allotted salary for the 2015-16 season. With the cap projected at $67.1 million, Charlotte could be looking at a mid-level exception up to around $5.5 million to bring in another piece.

When over the cap, it is nonsensical to blow money on just anybody. If the Hornets are to make an addition, they have to make a statement.

Charlotte probably has room for one more player and could go a few different ways with that roster slot. Of course, this team always needs shooting, given its NBA-worst 31.8 percent success rate from three-point range last year.

After the inefficiency of Brian Roberts, another point guard wouldn't hurt. Heck, Charlotte could even go big after losing restricted free agent Bismack Biyombo to the Toronto Raptors. Decisions, decisions...

Here are five remaining free agents worth a long look for the Charlotte Hornets.

Dorell Wright

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

We know what Charlotte's agenda is this offseason: Sit tight, make a trade or two centered on short-term contracts and brace for the future when the salary cap increases.

So far, it looks as if owner Michael Jordan and company have done a solid job. Shipping Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes cleared the roster of an expensive head case. Dealing Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson to the Portland Trail Blazers for Nicolas Batum was crafty, but it went along with the plan.

The Hornets want to win now, and in order to do that they must acquire even more shooting. Batum, Kaminsky, Hawes and recent acquisition Jeremy Lamb all fit that mold. Dorell Wright could be the icing on the cake.

Overall, it was not the best season for Wright. He shot below 40 percent from the floor for the third consecutive year. However, Charlotte would be signing him to be a one-trick pony. Wright has many similarities to Marvin Williams, who was signed last offseason. Both are lanky forwards who can stretch the floor, only Dorell is better at it. Unlike Williams, Wright has never faltered in the three-ball department, canning 38 percent last year for the Blazers.

An otherwise solid player across the board, Wright would provide an added boost. His outside shooting could continue to quell the issue that has plagued this franchise for a decade. The man is only 29 and clearly suffering on the market from a lack of playing time in Portland.

Charlotte already brought in one wing from the Northwest; why not make it two?

Wayne Ellington

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The next product out of the bargain bin is more of the same, only better.

As we mentioned, Charlotte is down two shooting guards this offseason in Henderson and Stephenson. Jeff Taylor was not tendered a contract, so that's another body down on the perimeter.

Batum is good, but he is not the single antidote. He also did not have his best year this past go-around, which is why Wayne Ellington would be a superb signing for the Hornets. He is coming off a career-high 90 threes with the hapless Los Angeles Lakers, and he is a career 38.2 percent marksman.

We haven't seen nearly enough from P.J. Hairston, following his disastrous rookie campaign, to award him a featured role. Charlotte is currently without anyone who can come in, spell the starters on the wing and light it up. Ellington can do just that, and he will come extremely cheap.

Best of all, he is a North Carolina guy! Why wouldn't Michael Jordan want to add another Tar Heel to his squad? Two years and less than five or six million dollars could be all it takes to secure one of the league's better shooters.

Andre Miller

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

July 4 celebrations need fireworks. They steal the show, but have a holiday barbecue without the classics like beer and hot dogs and see what happens. It's chaos!

Outrageous analogies aside, Andre Miller can still hoop. He is the hot dogs to your barbecue. Miller is in no way flashy, but 16 years of NBA experience validate his ability as an efficient scorer and distributor.

In order for the Hornets to compete with the current stable of talent, Kemba Walker must improve. Walker regressed last season, and he could stand to jack up his assist totals and make his teammates better. If Miller doesn't score one point all year, his contract will pay for itself if he can inject some veteran poise into Walker.

Miller's recent assistance with the careers of Ty Lawson, John Wall and Ray McCallum has been clear as day. Word is that Miller intends to play his age-40 season, and is said to be meeting with teams.

Miller has been arguably the most consistent point guard this league has seen since he was drafted. There is no doubt he can still get the job done even though he is old enough to father half this roster. He would bring everything Brian Roberts was supposed to and then some. Best of all, there's a great chance you could land him on a one-year deal to go along with Charlotte's plan.

Gerald Green

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Few players have had a more unusual career than Gerald Green. After bouncing around the NBA with seven franchises in eight years, he finally seemed to find a home with the Phoenix Suns. 

But he's on the market again.

The high-flyer canned 341 threes over the past two seasons for the Suns, while also punishing rims at an alarming rate. Both of those things were rarities in Charlotte last year. The Hornets need excitement almost as badly as they need outside shooting, and no one in the league can fly quite like Green.

Keep in mind, this is a guy who drilled 204 shots from distance and averaged 15.8 points in the 2013-14 season. He truly came into his own in the desert, and this is much more than a shot in the dark on the free-agent market. This is a legitimate player who can do damage for a team in need of offensive firepower.

Signing Green almost makes too much sense. Charlotte would benefit greatly from being the next stop on his career carousel. 

Jimmer Fredette

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Oh yeah. Buckle up, because we're goin' there.

Unrestricted free agent Jimmer Fredette hasn't lived up to his 2011 No. 10 overall draft selection. He has bounced around through three franchises, but he hasn't been able to shake the curse that has plagued so many Sacramento Kings point guards.

Fredette's play this past year with the New Orleans Pelicans was abysmal. He saw just 10.2 minutes a night in 50 games of action and looked out of sorts the entire time. He drilled just nine of his 48 three-point attempts after hitting 49.3 percent the previous year with the Kings.

According to the Sacramento Sun Times, Fredette is weighing his options of playing overseas. Charlotte needs to convince him to stay and do us all a favor. It wasn't long ago he was nuking opponents across the NCAA with threes from the parking lot. All he needs is a chance, and he hasn't received an adequate one in his brief career.

Jordan has an affinity for big-name former college stars. This is the man who drafted Sean May, Adam Morrison, Kemba Walker, Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Fredette would be a no-risk, high-reward option. If things don't work out, he heads overseas.

If everything goes well, Charlotte has a long-range assassin off the bench.