Could Hornets be sneaky fit for Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr?

The Charlotte Hornets probably aren’t landing Jabari Smith Jr. this summer.

But much like the recent Jalen Williams speculation involving the Atlanta Hawks, there’s at least enough basketball logic here to make the idea interesting.

Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently floated Smith Jr. as a potential trade target for Charlotte if the Houston Rockets ever become willing to listen.

Again, that’s a pretty big “if.” Still, Favale’s reasoning makes some sense.

“His offensive efficiency is all over the place, but the Houston Rockets have yet to play him alongside proper table-setters,” Favale wrote. “The Hornets have no fewer than three of those.”

That’s really the intriguing part of this conversation.

Smith Jr. has always looked like a player whose offensive game could expand dramatically in the right environment. In Charlotte, he’d potentially be playing next to creators such as LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel instead of constantly being asked to manufacture difficult offense on his own.

And at just 23 years old, Smith still fits the Hornets’ long-term timeline.

Meanwhile, Houston may actually face legitimate roster questions this offseason after another early playoff exit despite entering the postseason with major expectations around Kevin Durant and the veteran core.

That doesn’t automatically mean Smith becomes available. Far from it.

But this is exactly the type of speculative NBA discussion that front offices quietly have behind the scenes all the time — especially when young talent, contracts and roster balance all start colliding at once.

On paper, at least, Smith in Charlotte is one of those ideas that’s a little easier to picture than people might initially think.