Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Marvin Williams Considering Retirement

January 24th, 2020 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Marvin Williams will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and while he might continue his playing career if he gets an NBA offer he likes, he has given some thought to the idea of retirement, as he tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (subscriber-only).

“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve certainly thought about being done,” Williams said earlier this week. “I feel like that’s where I am right now: I could do it or I could not.”

Williams, 33, is averaging a career-low 19.6 minutes per game this season. His 6.9 PPG and 2.6 RPG also represent the worst marks of his 15-year career. Still, the underlying numbers suggest the former No. 2 overall pick can continue to be a capable rotation piece — his shooting line of .454/.377/.886 is strong and he’s a solid perimeter defender.

Whether or not Williams signs a new NBA contract in the summer, he has some ideas about what he’d like his next step to be when he eventually retires as a player.

According to Bonnell, Williams’ best friend is fellow UNC alum Deon Thompson, who has spent his entire professional career playing in overseas leagues, making stops in Greece, Germany, China, Israel, and Spain, among other countries. Thompson’s experience has helped fuel Williams’ interest in international basketball outreach.

“I like the Junior NBA (program) where you are basically a camp counselor all around the world,” Williams said. “Basketball Without Borders, I’ve done a couple of those: I went to Africa and I went to Indonesia. … Any opportunity I get to travel and work with kids? That’s what I would love to do.”

Malik Monk On Knicks’ Radar

January 23rd, 2020 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Some members of the Knicks‘ organization view Hornets guard Malik Monk as a trade target worth pursuing, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, Begley cautions that it’s not clear whether New York and Charlotte have actually had any conversations about Monk.

Monk, who will turn 22 next month, hasn’t developed like the Hornets hoped when they drafted him 11th overall in 2017. This season, he’s averaging 8.4 PPG with a career-high .429 FG%, but his 3PT% has slipped to a dismal .252. A change of scenery could benefit the former Kentucky sharpshooter.

As Begley writes, the Knicks are believed to be interested in acquiring a starter-level player who could help the team in both the short- and long-term. However, the front office appears reluctant to part with any of its top young prospects or future first-round picks, so acquiring a starter-level player will be a challenge.

Landing a reclamation project like Monk might be a more realistic scenario, though the Knicks haven’t had much success with another change-of-scenery prospect from the 2017 lottery, Dennis Smith Jr.

Whether or not they pursue Monk, the Knicks seem likely to be active at the trade deadline, according to Begley, who notes that contenders around the NBA continue to monitor New York’s veterans, including Marcus Morris.

Players On Expiring Contracts Might Be Retained

January 20th, 2020 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Allowing the contracts of Marvin Williams, Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to expire, rather than trading those impending free agents, might be the best course of action for the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines.

The Hornets would have to take back comparable salary unless the team they’re dealing with has a large trade exception. The player or players they take back might have contracts that extend beyond this season and unless they figure into Charlotte’s long term plans, it would not be worth it, Bonnell continues. The Hornets’ players on expiring contracts wouldn’t bring back much more in future assets than a second-round pick anyway, Bonnell adds.

Ray Spalding Joins Hornets On Two-Way Deal

January 15th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:05pm: Spalding’s two-way deal is now official, the team confirmed in a press release.

6:21pm: The Hornets will sign Ray Spalding to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The 23-year-old forward was in training camp with the Rockets and joined their G League affiliate after being waived just before the start of the season. He was averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 20 games with Rio Grande Valley.

Spalding got 14 games of NBA experience last year as a rookie. Thirteen of those were with Mavericks and the other one came after joining the Suns on a 10-day contract last February.

By signing today, Spalding will be eligible to spend up to 24 days in the NBA between now and the end of the G League regular season in March.

The Hornets opened a two-way slot by waiving Robert Franks earlier today, which marks the deadline for issuing two-way contracts this season.

Hornets Waive Robert Franks

January 15th, 2020 at 4:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets have opened a two-way slot by waiving Robert Franks, the team announced on Twitter.

The 23-year-old forward signed a two-way deal with Charlotte in July after going undrafted out of Washington State. He didn’t appear in any NBA games, but was averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22 games with the Hornets’ G League affiliate in Greensboro.

Today marks this season’s deadline for signing two-way players, so another move could be coming from Charlotte later tonight.

Borrego Finding Good Balance Between Young Players, Vets

January 15th, 2020 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets head coach James Borrego had done an admirable job this season finding plenty of playing time for his youngsters without alienating the veterans on the roster, as Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer details.

Borrego vowed during the preseason that he wouldn’t let salaries dictate which players get the most minutes and has stuck to that approach as his team, which currently holds the No. 9 seed in the East, has exceeded expectations. Devonte’ Graham, Terry Rozier, PJ Washington, and Miles Bridges are the top four Hornets in minutes per game, but vets like Cody Zeller, Nicolas Batum, and Bismack Biyombo have had regular roles too.

“I feel like he has made us older guys a part of this thing as well,” Hornets forward Marvin Williams said of Borrego. “Obviously, Nic would love to play more, but he’s a team player. There are times when I maybe would like to play more, but that’s not my job (to decide).”

Central Notes: Drummond, Lue, Cavs, Bulls, Rose

January 14th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

It appears likely that the Pistons will ultimately make a deal involving Andre Drummond before the trade deadline, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. However, teams aren’t offering first-round picks right now for the big man, per Edwards, who notes that initial talks between the Pistons and Hawks only involved expiring contracts.

While those offers seem likely to improve by February 6, it still remains unclear how much teams will be willing to give the Pistons for a player who could be had in free agency this summer. Edwards examines a few rumored suitors, arguing that the Hawks and Hornets make more sense than clubs like the Knicks, Celtics, and Cavaliers.

As Edwards explains, both Atlanta and Charlotte will have plenty of cap flexibility to sign Drummond this offseason, but haven’t historically been popular destinations for free agents. Giving up an asset for the Pistons’ center now and getting him familiar with the organization for a few months before free agency could give those clubs a leg up on a long-term deal in the summer, Edwards writes.

As we wait to see what happens with Drummond, here’s more from around the Central:

Now a top assistant for the Clippers, Tyronn Lue admits that he wishes he were still the Cavaliers‘ head coach, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Yeah, I do,” Lue said after a long pause. “What I tried to build there, I think the culture I tried to set … I thought we could do it together. Koby (Altman) being a young GM, me being a young coach, having young players. I won a championship there, so you have a chance and an opportunity to do something different, and you should have that leeway to be able to go through a couple challenging years. To win a championship and go to the Finals should buy you a little time, you would think.”
The Bulls‘ first half didn’t play out like the team had hoped, but head coach Jim Boylen insists there have been positive signs of progress over the last three months, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago details. “I’m not discouraged. I’m kind of excited that we have established some things,” Boylen said. “Our shot profile is top-five in the league. Our defense on any given day is between five and nine, top-10 in the league. That’s what we’re building. And we’ll continue to work.”
Derrick Rose has been one of the Pistons‘ most valuable players this season and is helping the team stay competitive, but head coach Dwane Casey doesn’t want the veteran guard playing 30+ minutes per night, as he has recently. Chris McCosky of The Detroit News takes a look at Casey’s dilemma.

Young Hornets Showing Growth

January 11th, 2020 at 3:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

At the midpoint of the Hornets‘ 2019/20 NBA season, the team has shown growth under second-year head coach James Borrego, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes.

Bonnell goes on to report that the Hornets are the only team with a losing record that is still among the top-10 in the league in net rating in clutch time, thanks mostly to the clutch play of promising youngsters Devonte’ Graham, PJ Washington and even the 25-year-old Terry Rozier. Bonnell cautions optimistic fans that just two of the team’s 15 victories came against teams with winning records, and notes that the 15-26 team is still firmly in rebuild mode.

Rozier, an expensive free-agent gamble inked this summer to a three-year, $57MM contract to be the team’s starting point guard, has become effective as the team’s starting shooting guard after the ascendant Graham emerged as the best option to run the point for the Hornets.

Bonnell wonders if the 6’1″ Rozier can be a long-term fit as the team’s shooting guard, and whether forwards PJ Washington and Miles Bridges, similarly built at 6’7″, can truly coexist starting alongside each other in the frontcourt long term. Bonnell feels that shooting guard and center should be the Hornets’ next big positional targets in the 2020 NBA draft.

NBA G League Assignment/Recalls: 1/7/20

January 7th, 2020 at 9:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Raptors have recalled Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, and Malcolm Miller from their G League affiliate, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Raptors 905’s next game is on Friday.
The Pacers have assigned Goga Bitadze and Alize Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mads Ants, per the team’s Twitter feed. Bitadze was the team’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele, Terance Mann and Jerome Robinson to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. Kabengele was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
The Hornets have sent Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels to the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s website. This marks Martin’s seventh trip to the G League and McDaniels’ sixth.

And-Ones: Edwards, Cap Room, Sellers, Betting

January 7th, 2020 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

With LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton battling injuries this winter and James Wiseman leaving Memphis to begin preparing for the 2020 draft, Georgia guard Anthony Edwards is one of the few candidates for the No. 1 pick that NBA evaluators can actually watch these days. And, as Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated relays, scouts have been impressed so far by what they’ve seen from the freshman.

“[Edwards] is a pro, everything about him. Athleticism. Skill. The ability to score,” one NBA scout told Spears. “He can defend. He is one of those guys that will be better on the next level because he will be playing with better teammates. When he walks onto the floor, you have the feeling that you’re watching a pro. And then the game starts and he shows you he is one with his versatility and skill.”

While he currently ranks behind Ball on ESPN’s big board, Edwards is considered a candidate to be the first player drafted this spring. So far, there’s no consensus among experts on which prospect will be the top pick, and Edwards tells Spears that his goal is to become that player.

“That’s my dream, to be the No. 1 pick,” Edwards said. “So, all I’m doing is just working hard. And whoever gets the pick, they will do whatever they want to do with. I just pray it would be me.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The Hawks, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, Hornets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Suns, and Pelicans are the teams expected to have cap room available during the 2020 offseason. Danny Leroux of The Athletic examines how much spending power those teams will have and what factors could affect their flexibility.
In his in-depth preview of the 2020 trade deadline, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) breaks down the most and least valuable contracts for each team and speculates on the topics currently under discussion in each front office.
Dan Devine of The Ringer identifies 11 teams that may be sellers at next month’s trade deadline, including obvious candidates like the Knicks and Cavaliers, as well as teams that will be more reluctant to sell, such as the Kings and Timberwolves.
Wayne Parry of The Associated Press explores how professional sports leagues – including the NBA – are cashing in on legalized sports betting by selling data to bookmakers.