At the end of the 2019/20 season, few NBA franchises appeared to be in a worse spot than the Hornets, who won just 23 games, missed the playoffs for a fourth straight seasons, and didn’t have any young players with legitimate star upside on their roster.
The Hornets didn’t snap their playoff drought in 2021, but a year later, their outlook is considerably brighter. That turnaround can be attributed in large part to nailing the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft. LaMelo Ball became the NBA’s Rookie of the Year and looks like the best bet of any 2020 draftee to eventually make an All-Star team.
Charlotte also added forward Gordon Hayward on a four-year, $120MM contract during 2020’s free agent period. The deal was widely viewed as an overpay, and it’s possible the Hornets will end up regretting it in a year or two. Still, it was an encouraging sign that the franchise was able to land one of the summer’s top free agents, beating out the Pacers and Knicks, among others.
Ball and Hayward both missed time due to injuries in 2020/21, but the club still earned a play-in spot in the East and has the flexibility to continue upgrading its roster this summer. The Hornets aren’t exactly legit contenders yet, but things in Charlotte don’t look as bleak as they did at this time last year.
The Hornets’ Offseason Plan:
The Hornets will face important decisions on free agent guards Malik Monk and Devonte’ Graham, both of whom are eligible for qualifying offers that would make them restricted FAs. Both Monk and Graham have value, and ideally Charlotte wouldn’t let them get away for nothing, but Ball’s emergence and Terry Rozier‘s impressive performance in 2020/21 have given the team some options. If Monk, for instance, needs to be renounced to open up some cap room, there’s enough backcourt depth on the roster to withstand the loss.
Besides addressing the backcourt, the Hornets will prioritize the center position. Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are headed to unrestricted free agency, and while it’s possible the club will look to bring one of them back as a reserve on a modest contract, Charlotte will be aiming higher in its search for frontcourt help.
Richaun Holmes, Andre Drummond, and Nerlens Noel are among the players the Hornets could pursue in free agency. The trade market offers some intriguing options as well, including Pacers center Myles Turner, who has frequently been linked to Charlotte and could once again be on the trade block this offseason. Getting a player who can knock down threes like Turner would be great, but the Hornets really just need someone who can protect the basket on defense and be a rim-running partner for Ball on offense.
Rozier and Miles Bridges are the Hornets’ two most notable extension-eligible players. The team’s decision on Rozier may be tied to how Graham’s free agency plays out — if Graham returns, it would cast more uncertainty on Rozier’s long-term future with the franchise. Bridges, meanwhile, looks like a keeper on the wing, and I imagine Charlotte will try to sign him to an extension this offseason if the price is right.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.
Guaranteed Salary
- Gordon Hayward ($29,925,000)
- Terry Rozier ($17,905,263)
- Nicolas Batum ($9,043,478) — Waived via stretch provision.
- LaMelo Ball ($8,231,760)
- Miles Bridges ($5,421,493)
- P.J. Washington ($4,215,120)
- Vernon Carey ($1,517,981)
- Nick Richards ($1,517,981)
- Total: $77,778,076
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Caleb Martin ($1,782,621) 1
- Cody Martin ($1,782,621) 2
- Jalen McDaniels ($1,782,621) 3
- Total: $5,347,863
Restricted Free Agents
Malik Monk ($7,031,451 qualifying offer / $16,037,061 cap hold): Bird rights- Devonte’ Graham ($4,736,102 qualifying offer / $4,736,102 cap hold): Bird rights
- Brad Wanamaker ($2,812,500 qualifying offer / $2,812,500 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $23,585,663
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 11 overall pick ($4,154,400)
- No. 56 overall pick (no cap hold)
- No. 57 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total: $4,154,400
Extension-Eligible Players
- Miles Bridges (rookie scale)
- Caleb Martin (veteran)
- Cody Martin (veteran)
- Jalen McDaniels (veteran)
- Terry Rozier (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Cody Zeller ($23,123,595): Bird rights
- Bismack Biyombo ($6,650,000): Bird rights
- Total: $29,773,595
Offseason Cap Outlook
The Hornets will likely dip below the cap this offseason, especially if they don’t re-sign Monk, or bring him back on a salary far below his $16MM cap hold.
If Charlotte were to renounce Monk, bring back the three players with non-guaranteed salaries, and account for cap holds for Graham and the No. 11 pick, they could create more than $20MM in cap room. Waiving some of the non-guaranteed money would bump that figure up slightly, while re-signing Monk would cut into it.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,910,000 4
Footnotes
- Martin’s salary becomes fully guaranteed at some point in mid-August (exact date TBD).
- Martin’s salary becomes fully guaranteed at some point in mid-August (exact date TBD).
- McDaniels’ salary becomes fully guaranteed at some point this summer (exact date TBD).
- This is a projected value. If the Hornets operate over the cap, they’d have the mid-level exception ($9.5MM) and the bi-annual exception ($3.7MM) available.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post
Go big game hunting… Miles, Devonte, VCarey Jr, #11 overall & 2 future 1sts for Dame & Kanter
Portland says no
no way portland would say yes to this
Rozier and Bridges for Simmons?
Interesting but I think they’d have to buy into Simmons being able to play PF/C in defense full time, otherwise they’d be dangerously thin upfront.
And I think Philly would have to be really high on Rozier. But Russell has been thrown out there and Rozier is probably better than he is at this point.
That’s how I see both teams, at least. Any team that pays a steep price to have Simmons run point is taking a huge risk. Going to a team that already has someone to run the offense and distribute would take the pressure off Simmons.
I also think the Sixers need to get multiple starters for Simmons, otherwise I’d be looking to restart and trade Embiid if I were them.
Terrible overpay for Gordon Hayward. Jordan being Jordan
Would you rather have him overpay for Kemba???
Indeed. The Gordon and Rozier contracts actually both look fair at this point. Hayward was having a great year before he got hurt.
They need to find a good wing shooter to run with Melo. Someone like Moody would b a nice compliment. They should stay the course and trade some of the vets for picks. Rozier could b in high demand for someone who misses out on Lowry and can’t trade for Dame.
Not another ‘Melo’!
I would like to see them draft that Turkish guy.
If they can get Turner for cheap (maybe Monk + Biyombo + a future 1st) then I’d do it.
Other than that I’d try and bring back Graham on a QO. And fill the middle with a low cost guy like Noel for the time being.
Let Melo develop with Hayward and Bridges and Rozier for a full year, then go big game hunting next summer.
The only other question is Monk—if they could keep him for under 10 per I’d do it, otherwise let him walk or do a S/T
If Charlotte adds an athletic big (like Myles Turner) without giving up a core player, they’ll be a Top 5 team in the East for the foreseeable future.
It’s funny how someone here thinks that both Caleb and Cody Martin are even remotely as good as Kenyon Martin Jr, aka KJ Martin. I know the Hornets are short on talent, as they always have been. But even though KJ only played in 45 games during his rookie season, after dominating the G-League with his teammate Kevin Porter, he has already proven himself to be one of the steals of the 2020 draft.
Nobody cares about the G League team playing in southeast Texas. Goodness. Now we have to hear about KJ Martin whose a good role player being compared to guys in the league with the same last name as him. Based on your logic, Kevin Porter Jr >>> MPJ LMAO
Sign Drummond …. trade Graham n Monk. With the #11 pick, you will get a nice player to add.