Hornets Trade Rumors: Frank Kaminsky Being Shopped Ahead of Free Agency

The Charlotte Hornets "may finally be ready" to move veteran forward Frank Kaminsky in a trade, Sporting News' Sean Deveney reported Thursday. 

Kaminsky is making $3.6 million this season and can become a restricted free agent if the Hornets extend him a $4.9 million qualifying offer.

According to Deveney, the Hornets prefer to include one of their expensive contracts as part of a Kaminsky trade. Charlotte is "desperate" to rid itself of Nicolas Batum's deal and hopes to shed Bismack Biyombo's contract as well.

Batum makes $25.6 million in 2019-20 and has a $27.1 million player option for 2020-21, while Biyombo has a $17 million player option for next season.

While that strategy makes sense from the Hornets' perspective, Kaminsky may not be a good enough trade asset to the extent a team would be willing to accept a bad contract to get him.

The 2015 first-round draft pick isn't favored by head coach James Borrego, and his role has diminished as a result. Kaminsky has made 22 appearances, averaging 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game. He's shooting a career-high 48.9 percent from the field, but his 33.3 percent clip from beyond the arc is a step backward from 2017-18 (38.0 percent).

Add in the unpredictable nature of restricted free agency, and Kaminsky's trade value may have never been lower than it is now.

The 25-year-old seemingly won't be in a position to command a massive contract in the summer, but that could change should he close with a strong second half of the season.

If the Hornets are looking to trade Batum or Biyombo, they'll almost certainly have to be willing to give up more than just Kaminsky.