Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agency Rumors: Lakers, Hornets, Pelicans, Baynes, Bazemore

November 20th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers anticipate being “first in line” to talk to two of their veteran free agents, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley, when free agency opens, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Howard and Bradley are expected to draw interest from multiple other clubs, including perhaps the Warriors, but it sounds like L.A. has interest in bringing back both of them. The Lakers and veteran forward Jared Dudley also have mutual interest in a new deal, Scotto adds.

Here’s more from Scotto on free agency:

The Hornets are expected to be in the market for a free agent center, according to Scotto, who notes that the team will likely lose Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez in free agency.
Scotto echoes a rumor we heard earlier in the week, writing that the Pelicans are expected to show interest in free agent center Aron Baynes.
The Kings and Kent Bazemore are expected to have mutual interest in reaching a new deal, according to Scotto, who notes that the free agent swingman will likely speak with a number of teams once free agency begins.

Hornets To Sign Keandre Cook

November 20th, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets have reached an agreement with guard Keandre Cook, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype tweets. Cook, who played college ball at Missouri State, will receive an Exhibit 10 contract.

He’ll look to make an impression in training camp with the likelihood of spending next season in the G League. Cook played two seasons for the Bears and averaged 14.9 PPG and 4.6 RPG while draining 42.3% of his 3-point attempts. He scored 26 points against Valparaiso in the MVC Tournament in his last college outing.

The 6’5” Cook spent two seasons at a junior college prior to signing with Missouri State.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Ariza, Raptors, Hornets, Magic

November 20th, 2020 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Pistons eventually officially acquire forward Trevor Ariza, who is being dealt from Portland to Houston to Detroit, the expectation is that he’ll have his full $12.8MM salary guaranteed, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.

Ariza’s salary was initially only partially guaranteed for $1.8MM, but as cap expert Albert Nahmad explains (via Twitter), his salary guarantee deadline will come and go before the Pistons are able to officially acquire him. As a result, the Rockets will create a $12.8MM traded player exception in the transaction.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Nashville was in the mix for the Raptors as a temporary home late into the decision process, but the team opted for Florida for a few reasons, including the lack of a state income tax, per Blake Murphy and Eric Koreen of The Athletic. There’s also a brand-new hotel next to Amalie Arena in Tampa with ballrooms that could be used as makeshift practice spaces, according to The Athletic’s duo.
Undrafted Kentucky forward Kahlil Whitney is considering signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hornets, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link). Whitney declared for the draft this year after a single season of college ball.
Amid rumors that point guard D.J. Augustin is drawing interest from Phoenix and Milwaukee, Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel says (via Twitter) that a return to the Magic is very unlikely for Augustin, given the team’s cap constraints and Wednesday’s Cole Anthony pick.

Clippers Interested In Terry Rozier?

November 20th, 2020 at 11:22am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers want to add another guard to their roster and have talked to the Hornets about Terry Rozier, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

Rozier, 26, still has two years and nearly $37MM left on the contract he signed with Charlotte last summer. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists during his first season with the team.

The Clippers remain interested in free agent Rajon Rondo, Mannix adds, but there are concerns that he will get a larger offer from someone else. L.A. is down a guard after trading Landry Shamet this week in a three-team deal.

Hornets Decline Qualifying Offer For Dwayne Bacon

November 19th, 2020 at 4:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hornets will not give a qualifying offer to shooting guard Dwayne Bacon ahead of his fourth NBA season, making him an unrestricted free agent, per an official team press release tweet.

In June, Bacon spoke about hoping for an opportunity with another team ahead of the offseason, which appeared to indicate that a separation could be on the horizon.

The 6’6″ 25-year-old out of Florida State remained a bench player during his tenure with the Hornets. During the 2019/20 season, Bacon averaged 5.7 PPG, and 2.6 PG across 39 games, while shooting just 34.8% from the field.

Bacon joins Hornets centers Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez in free agency. Earlier this week, another potential Charlotte free agent, forward Nicolas Batum, opted in to his lucrative $27.13MM player option for the season.

Hornets To Sign Nate Darling To Two-Way Deal

November 19th, 2020 at 7:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are signing undrafted free agent guard Nate Darling to a two-way contract, his agents at One Legacy Sports tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Darling, who began his college career at UAB, later transferred to Delaware and had a breakout season in 2019/20. In 32 games (38.3 MPG) in 2019/20, The 22-year-old Canadian averaged 21.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.8 APG with a .446/.399/.854 shooting line.

The Hornets finished the ’19/20 campaign with Kobi Simmons and Ray Spalding occupying their two-way slots. Spalding’s deal runs for another year, so it seems safe to assume that Darling will take Simmons’ spot.

Darling will be eligible to be active for up to 50 games with Charlotte this season.

Pelicans Trade No. 39 To Jazz, No. 42 To Hornets

November 19th, 2020 at 1:14am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 19, 1:14am: The Pelicans have issued press releases confirming that their deals with the Jazz and Hornets are both now official.

NOVEMBER 18, 10:47pm: The Jazz will acquire Elijah Hughes, the 39th pick in tonight’s draft, from the Pelicans, tweets Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. New Orleans is also trading the 42nd pick, Nick Richards, to the Hornets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

In exchange for Hughes’ rights at No. 39, the Pelicans will receive a 2022 second-round pick from the Jazz, reports Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Hornets will send a 2024 second-round pick to New Orleans for the rights to Richards, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

Hughes, a 6’6″ junior forward, averaged 19.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season at Syracuse. Richards, a 6’11” junior forward, averaged 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game at Kentucky.

Draft-Night Rumors: Warriors, Pistons, Avdija, Baynes

November 18th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Drafting James Wiseman won’t prevent the Warriors from looking to add another big man, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, who reports (via Twitter) that Golden State is eyeing at least four different bigs. The team has its $17MM+ trade exception and the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to acquire veterans later this week.

Here are a few more NBA draft-night notes and rumors:

It sounds like Detroit’s long-reported interest in Patrick Williams was legit. The Pistons made an effort to trade up to No. 3 in order to leapfrog the Bulls for Williams, but the Hornets didn’t budge, sources tell Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Deni Avdija has a small buyout to get out of his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Avdija and the Wizards – who selected him at No. 9 – will pay that buyout. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer adds (via Twitter) that he’s surprised by Avdija slipping to ninth — the Bulls and Cavaliers both considered the Israeli forward at No. 4 and No. 5, per O’Connor.
NBA executives fully expect Aron Baynes to leave the Suns in free agency, opening the door for No. 10 pick Jalen Smith to fill Baynes’ role as a stretch big, tweets Kevin O’Connor. According to O’Connor, the Pelicans are a potential landing spot for Baynes.

Hornets Draft LaMelo Ball With No. 3 Pick

November 18th, 2020 at 7:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft to select guard LaMelo Ball.

President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak had long vowed to select the best player available in the draft, and the Ball pick reflects that. The Hornets’ backcourt is one of the team’s strengths, with Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham having led the team in scoring in 2019/20.

There was a belief that Charlotte may prefer a big man in the draft, but James Wiseman came off the board at No. 2 and the Hornets decided not to use the No. 3 pick on USC’s Onyeka Okongwu. The Hornets will have cap room available and may look to address their frontcourt in free agency later this week.

A report earlier today indicated that Hornets owner Michael Jordan had given the team the “stamp of approval” to draft Ball.

Ball will be in line for a $7.8MM salary in his first NBA season.

Free Agent Roundup: Gallinari, Harris, Millsap

November 18th, 2020 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could be among the teams bidding for free agent forward Danilo Gallinari, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If Giannis Antetokounmpo accepts a super-max offer from the Bucks, there will be less incentive for Miami to preserve cap room for next summer. If the two-time MVP is off the market, Scotto hears that the Heat will extend Bam Adebayo, try to re-sign Goran Dragic and look to add a forward, possibly Gallinari, in free agency.

Oklahoma City is expected to structure the trade for Al Horford so it can retain Gallinari’s cap hold, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

There’s more free agent news to pass along:

A rumor circulating earlier today that the Mavericks and Thunder were negotiating a sign-and-trade deal involving Gallinari is false, at least so far, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
The Hawks and Hornets were both planning to pursue Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, but it seems increasingly likely that he will remain in Brooklyn, Scotto notes in the same piece. Charlotte will look for more affordable guards who can give the team veteran leadership and shooting.
Nuggets forward Paul Millsap could be in line for the Trail Blazers‘ full mid-level exception if he signs in Portland, Scotto adds. The Blazers are expected to make a strong push for the 35-year-old.