Charlotte Traded Tim Kempton for a Future Second-Round Pick
The expansion Charlotte Hornets sent forward-center Tim Kempton to Denver on September 11, 1989, in exchange for a 1991 second-round pick. The pick eventually became No. 28, used by Charlotte on University of Minnesota guard Kevin Lynch. Kempton had played 79 games for the Hornets in their inaugural 1988-89 season, supplying regular bench frontcourt minutes, and Denver wanted similar veteran availability without waiting for a draft. The Hornets took a future chance instead, betting that a selection two summers later could help turn over their expansion roster. The two-year delay in realizing the choice is essential to the comparison.
Kempton Was in the Nuggets Rotation Immediately
Kempton played 71 regular-season games for Denver in 1989-90, starting 14 and averaging 14.9 minutes, 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He added three postseason appearances when the Nuggets faced the Spurs. Those numbers are modest for an NBA forward, but they amount to a recognizable bench job for nearly an entire season. His Denver tenure did not extend into several full seasons and he later played professional basketball overseas. Nevertheless, Denver received useful play at the exact time it acquired him, which is a stronger concrete return than merely preserving the possibility of a future second-round selection. Denver’s C+ grade reflects that immediate contribution and narrow relative benefit.
Lynch Could Not Turn Charlotte’s Pick into Comparable Impact
Charlotte used the No. 28 choice in 1991 on Kevin Lynch. The Hornets’ draft-history ledger confirms the exact selection, which was the first pick of the second round that year. Lynch never established a significant Hornets rotation role, and the franchise could not match Kempton’s 71 Denver regular-season games with comparable immediate production from the selection. There was no first-round pick, no traded veteran returning alongside the second, and no unrecorded cash consideration to inflate the return. Charlotte’s C grade accounts for the legitimate opportunity to draft a prospect but recognizes the short realized value. The Nuggets got the better outcome in a useful reserve-for-future-pick deal, though neither side found a franchise centerpiece.
Final Verdict
Slight Nuggets Edge. Denver earns C+ for Tim Kempton’s 71 regular-season games and three playoff appearances in 1989-90. Charlotte gets C after trading him for the No. 28 selection used on Kevin Lynch. The acquired veteran delivered more immediate NBA minutes.