SEPTEMBER 22ND: The deal is official, the team announced.
AUGUST 18TH: Point guard Justin Cobbs will be on the Hornets roster for training camp, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Cobbs, who went undrafted out of the University of California in June, will also take part in training camp with Laboral Kuxta of Spain, Pick adds. Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia first reported the unusual dual-camp arrangement, with Pick later filling in the identity of the teams. The arrangement would appear to give Cobbs a European fallback in case he doesn’t make it to opening night with Charlotte.
Cobbs went into the draft as the 92nd-best prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com pegged him 131st. In any case, it was no surprise that he was passed over on draft night, and while he totaled just 12 minutes in two summer league games with the Grizzlies, it looks like Cobbs impressed during his predraft workout with the Hornets. His production in college wasn’t shabby, as he averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 assists and 2.4 turnovers in 34.5 minutes per game as a senior this past year.
It’s presumably a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary for the 6’3″ 23-year-old. Charlotte is only carrying 13 other players, all on guaranteed deals, and that number is poised to swell to 14 once 26th overall pick P.J. Hairston signs his rookie scale contract. Cobbs nonetheless faces an uphill battle on a roster that already includes point guards Kemba Walker, Brian Roberts and Jannero Pargo.