- The Hornets worked out potential lottery pick Jalen Johnson today, according to a tweet from the team. Johnson had a turbulent year at Duke, and eventually withdrew from the program, but came in with a high pedigree and an intriguing point-forward skillset.
Little Rock big man Ruot Monyyong is set to work out for the Kings on July 8, tweets Jason Jones of The Athletic. Jones adds that the 6’10” Monyyong was the 2020 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and was twice named to the All-Sun Belt team during his college career. Monyyong averaged 11.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.5 APG, and 0.9 SPG across his two NCAA seasons.
There’s more on the draft:
- The Hornets tweeted their draft prospect workouts for Saturday, July 3. The club took a look at the following players: Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey, Marquette guard D.J. Carton, Oregon guard Chris Duarte, Tennessee guard Keon Johnson, Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson, and Alabama guard Joshua Primo. Charlotte currently possesses the No. 11 and No. 56 picks in the upcoming 2021 draft.
- 6’10” Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh has pre-draft workouts scheduled with the Thunder, Grizzlies, Pistons and Kings, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman notes that the oversized small forward is thought of as a solid play-maker and shooter.
- Florida power forward Colin Castleton plans to return to school for the 2021/22 season, and will accordingly withdraw from the 2021 NBA draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. The 6’11” Castleton averaged 12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.1 APG last season.
The Hornets worked out seven draft prospects on Friday, headlined by UConn guard James Bouknight, P.J. Morales of the Charlotte Observer writes. Bouknight is rated as the No. 8 overall prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list. Auburn guard Sharife Cooper (No. 18 on ESPN’s list), Tennessee guard Jaden Springer (No. 27), and Auburn forward JT Thor (No. 28) were some of the other potential first-rounders who visited. The group also included Iowa center Luka Garza, Howard center Makur Maker, and Croatian forward Roko Prkacin (No. 37).
The Pacers are close to hiring former Hornets assistant coach Ronald Nored to join Rick Carlisle‘s staff, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Nored reportedly received consideration for the Wizards’ head coaching job. It’s not clear if he remains a candidate for that position, but presumably if he takes an assistant job in Indiana he wouldn’t expect to be hired by Washington.
The Pacers have zeroed in on former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as Carlisle’s top assistant. Darrell Armstrong, Carlisle’s longtime assistant with the Mavericks, will not join him in Indiana, J. Michael adds in a separate tweet.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Jalen Green‘s scoring ability makes him a legitimate candidate for the Pistons to select him with the top overall pick, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Green, who played with the G League’s Ignite team this season, is the most likely member of this year’s draft class to lead the league in scoring during his career, Langlois notes. At 6’6”, Green also has the size, elite skill level, athleticism and work ethic to be a special player in the league and that would give any team holding the top pick a lot to consider heading into the draft.
- The Pistons shouldn’t consider trading Jerami Grant coming off his career year, Rod Beard of the Detroit News opines. Dealing Grant would send a bad message that Detroit would be willing to flip an improving player who chose the franchise in free agency, Beard notes. Grant, who was recently added to Team USA, would be a top-line scorer and defender on a contending team, Beard adds.
- By re-hiring Carlisle, the Pacers are making a statement that they are no longer satisfied with mediocrity, says Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Despite the team’s record this season, the Pacers have the pieces to make the playoffs and blossom into a contender. However, they need direction, professionalism and accountability, and bringing in Carlisle should facilitate that process.
The roster has been released for the U.S. Select Team, which will help Team USA prepare for the Olympics, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Select Team, which will practice with and scrimmage against the national team during the upcoming training camp in Las Vegas, is made up mostly of first- and second-year NBA players. It will be coached by Erik Spoelstra of the Heat.
Making up the roster are:
- Saddiq Bey, Pistons
- Miles Bridges, Hornets
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Tyrese Haliburton, Kings
- Tyler Herro, Heat
- John Jenkins
- Keldon Johnson, Spurs
- Josh Magette
- Dakota Mathias, Sixers
- Immanuel Quickley, Knicks
- Naz Reid, Timberwolves
- Cameron Reynolds, Rockets
- Isaiah Stewart, Pistons
- Obi Toppin, Knicks
- P.J. Washington, Hornets
- Patrick Williams, Bulls
- Besides Indiana, Primo is scheduled for workouts with the Pelicans, Hornets, Spurs, and Thunder, a source tells Wasserman (Twitter link). The draft’s youngest prospect, Primo is “firmly” in the first-round picture, Wasserman adds.
1:10pm: Bulls assistant Chris Fleming has also interviewed for the Wizards’ head coaching position, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).
12:28pm: The Wizards are continuing through their first round of head coaching interviews this week, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who hears that the team could move onto the next stage of the process by the end of the week.
An earlier report indicated that Washington’s search for Scott Brooks‘ replacement will be “lengthy and thorough.” Only a handful of candidates have been reported so far, but Scotto adds a couple more names to that list.
According to Scotto, Hornets assistant Ronald Nored and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are receiving consideration from the Wizards and were in the mix for the team’s first round of interviews.
Nored, who played for Butler from 2008-12 and coached the Long Island Nets from 2016-18, is also drawing interest from the Pacers as a possible assistant on Rick Carlisle‘s staff, Scotto adds. Quinn, meanwhile, has been a member of Erik Spoelstra‘s staff in Miami since 2014 and reportedly interviewed for Indiana’s head coaching job in 2020.
Nored and Quinn join a group of candidates that includes Wes Unseld Jr., Scott Morrison, Jamahl Mosley, and Sam Cassell. As we relayed earlier today, Cassell interviewed with the Wizards on Tuesday.
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
There’s a belief that the Pelicans won’t be especially eager to add another rookie to an already young roster, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, currently held by New Orleans, is considered one of the most available in the lottery.
Within his latest mock draft, Givony also provides some intel on some other picks at the top of the draft, confirming that the Pistons are looking hard at Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, though most executives anticipate they’ll select Cade Cunningham. According to Givony, NBA teams don’t have a good feel for which direction the Rockets will go at No. 2, since the new front office doesn’t have an extensive track record. For now, Givony believes Green would be the pick for Houston over Mobley.
Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, which is exactly one month away:
- In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony and Mike Schmitz break down the winners and losers of last week’s draft combine, noting that Australian prospect Josh Giddey was generating plenty of buzz despite not even attending the event in Chicago. James Bouknight, Sharife Cooper, and Trey Murphy were among the other projected first-round picks receiving positive feedback.
- Speaking of Murphy, he has worked out for the Celtics and Spurs so far in the pre-draft process, as he told reporters. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington has the story on the Virginia forward whose draft stock is on the rise.
- The “rumor in Chicago” was that Oregon’s Chris Duarte, who pulled out of the draft combine, has received a guarantee early in the second round, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- Potential first-round pick JT Thor of Auburn is working out for the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks, and Pelicans between now and July 6, as Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report details (Twitter link).
A draft-and-stash prospect is reportedly considering a move to the NBA.
Lithuanian forward Arnoldas Kulboka is expected to leave his European team and one of his options is a two-way contract with the Hornets, Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando relays, via Chema de Lucas.
Kulboka officially re-signed with Spanish club Bilbao Basket for two more seasons last June, so he apparently had an opt-out clause. The 23-year-old Kulboka was selected by the Hornets with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2018 draft. His agent stated prior to that contract agreement with Bilbao that his client would have made the jump to the NBA this past season if not for the pandemic.
Kulboka, who stands 6’10”, averaged 9.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 22.8 MPG while appearing in 33 contests during the 2020/21 European season. He made 42.5% of his 3-point attempts, which increases his appeal. He was a member of the Hornets’ summer league teams in 2018 and 2o19.
The Hornets ended this season with guards Nate Darling and Grant Riller on two-way deals.