Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Green Room, Culver, Samanic, More

June 12th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA continues to invite potential first-round picks to the Green Room for next Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Nassir Little (UNC), Romeo Langford (Indiana), and Tyler Herro (Kentucky) were the next invitees after the initial nine-player group.

According to Givony (Twitter links), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), PJ Washington (Kentucky) also received Green Room invites, as did international prospect Sekou Doumbouya. That brings us to 16 prospects who are expected to be in the Green Room on draft night, with four others still expected to be invited, per Givony.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Within his latest mock draft, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cites league sources who say that both the Suns and Hawks are high on Texas Tech swingman Jarrett Culver. However, it’s possible that neither team will have a shot at him without trading up — Woo has Culver coming off the board at No. 5 to the Cavaliers in his mock.
Croatian forward Luka Samanic has a busy workout schedule, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), who adds the Warriors and Spurs to the list of teams Samanic has auditioned for. He also has workouts lined up with the Hawks and Bucks.
UCF guard Aubrey Dawkins has worked out for the Celtics, Pelicans, Knicks, and Raptors, and still has the Mavericks, Rockets, and Hornets on his workout schedule, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links) provides a pair of updates on pre-draft workouts for prospects, reporting that Chris Silva (South Carolina) is working out for the Heat and Spurs, while Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s) worked out for the Cavaliers and Mavericks and has the Sixers and Rockets on tap.

Lakers Among Teams Interested In Kemba Walker

June 11th, 2019 at 10:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kemba Walker will hit the open market for the first time in his career this offseason and he’ll have plenty of teams to choose from. The Lakers, Mavericks, and Knicks are among the teams interested in signing the point guard, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said on the network’s mock draft special.

The Lakers are hoping to make major upgrades this summer starting with an Anthony Davis trade. If Los Angeles can’t acquire Davis, the organization may find it difficult to convince a top free agent to join them. Walker will be among the several free agents the Lakers attempt to woo.

Prying Walker from Charlotte will have to be about more than money since the Hornets can offer him roughly $221MM over five years, while rival teams are capped at four years and slightly less than $141MM.

The Knicks are positioned to have two max salary slots available. The Lakers don’t quite have enough cap space without making an additional move, as our Salary Cap Digest shows. The Mavericks are also at least one move away from carving out enough salary cap space to accommodate a max deal for Walker.

Kyler’s Latest: Celtics, Capela, Kyrie, Sixers, More

June 11th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier this week that the Celtics had “engaged pretty seriously” on Rockets center Clint Capela, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has provided a few more details today. Sources tell Kyler that Boston has “expressed considerable interest” in Capela. However, he may be more of a Plan B or C for the Celtics, particularly if they’re still serious about pursuing Anthony Davis.

As Kyler details, league sources are skeptical that the Celtics will keep and use all three of their first-round picks (Nos. 14, 20, and 22). Meanwhile, Houston has been trying to get first-round prospects in for workouts despite not currently holding any draft picks — Kyler writes that the Rockets have been suggesting to agents that they have the ability to acquire a pick in the top 20.

It’s possible that the Celtics could trade one of their first-rounders to another team, and the Rockets are likely exploring deals with clubs outside of Boston. Still, it’s worth watching to see if those two teams end up getting something done on or before draft night.

Here’s more from Kyler:

Although Kyler, like others, has heard that the Celtics are operating as if Kyrie Irving probably won’t return, he writes that the club is prepared to offer Irving a maximum-salary deal to see if he’ll turn it down.
There’s a sense that Philadelphia will make full maximum-salary offers to Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, per Kyler. The Sixers are making sure that their players and other teams know they’re serious about keeping their core intact, according to Kyler, who adds that there’s a belief that Butler and Harris would re-sign if the team does put those offers on the table.
Kyler says that the Cavaliers, Suns, Hawks, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Heat, and Celtics are all viewed as candidates to trade top-20 picks in the draft, either for veteran players or to move up or down in the draft.

Kidd-Gilchrist Undergoes Surgery To Address Groin Issue

June 11th, 2019 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist underwent a surgical procedure on Tuesday, the team announced in a press release. The surgery, which was performed in Philadelphia, addressed a chronic groin strain, according to the Hornets.

Kidd-Gilchrist is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp this fall, per Charlotte’s announcement.

The Hornets’ press release makes it sound as if the team expects to have Kidd-Gilchrist on its roster for the start of training camp in September. He technically has a $13MM player option that he could turn down to become a free agent, but it’s probably a safe bet to assume that won’t happen after a down year and today’s surgery.

Kidd-Gilchrist, 25, averaged just 6.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG in a career-low 18.4 minutes per contest in 2018/19. Having started all but four of 357 career games for the Hornets heading into the season, he came off the bench for 61 of his 64 contests this past year.

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweeted today that he recently asked an NBA executive if he thought Kidd-Gilchrist could make back the $13MM guarantee on his 2019/20 player option if he opts out. The executive’s response? “No way.”

Hornets’ Marvin Williams Opts In For 2019/20

June 11th, 2019 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Marvin Williams has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). With that option locked in, Williams is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2020, and will earn $15,006,250 next season, per Basketball Insiders.

Williams, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is coming off another solid season in which he averaged 10.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG with a .422/.366/.767 shooting line for Charlotte.

A forward like Williams, who can guard multiple positions and knock down three-pointers (.378 3PT% since joining the Hornets in 2014), would probably do reasonably well on the open market. However, the former UNC standout is entering his age-33 season and almost certainly wouldn’t match his $15MM option salary in free agency.

Williams said in April during his exit interview with reporters that he intended to pick up his option, so today’s news doesn’t come as a surprise. Two Hornets veterans – Williams and Bismack Biyombo – have now officially opted in for 2019/20, adding approximately $32MM to the club’s commitments for next season.

The Hornets are currently carrying about $81MM in guaranteed salaries, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still seems like a good bet to pick up his own $13MM player option. If he does, it would push team salary above $94MM without taking into account a new deal for Kemba Walker, limiting Charlotte’s ability to significantly upgrade its roster whether or not Walker returns.

Williams will become the eighth veteran this spring to officially exercise a player option, as our tracker indicates.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Updates: Matthews, Bol, Porter, Withdrawals

June 10th, 2019 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Michigan guard Charles Matthews suffered some bad luck with the 2019 NBA draft right around the corner, as agent Adam Pensack tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com that his client has a torn ACL. The injury occurred during a workout with the Celtics, Givony adds.

Matthews, who had been ranked as the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s big board and was receiving second-round interest, will head to his hometown of Chicago to undergo surgery to repair the ACL. He hasn’t given up hope of being selected in next week’s draft.

“Injuries are tough, but Charles is an extremely hard worker and will be back stronger than ever,” Pensack told Givony. “He had a series of outstanding workouts lately and has helped himself. Charles will continue that momentum when he returns to action. As of now, we have interest in the second round as Charles is OK signing a two-way contract like Edmond Sumner did with the Indiana Pacers in 2017.”

Let’s round up a few more draft-related items…

Bol Bol, who is recovering from a foot fracture, will hold an invite-only workout for select teams on Wednesday, according to Jeremy Woo and Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link). Bol is one of the biggest wild cards in the draft for health-related reasons, so Wednesday’s session could have a major impact on where he’s selected.
Kevin Porter Jr., a probable first-round pick, has worked out for the Nets, Spurs, and Hornets, and has sessions lined up with the Magic and Hawks, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Porter’s previously-reported upcoming workouts with the Heat and Wizards will take place on June 13 and June 17, respectively (Twitter links via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).
With Monday’s withdrawal deadline looming, several international early entrants are pulling their names out of the 2019 draft pool. According to reports from Givony and Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (all four Twitter links), the following players are withdrawing: Nikita Mikhailovskii (Russia), Arturs Zagars (Latvia), Henri Drell (France), Tadas Sedekerskis (Lithuania), Gytis Masiulis (Lithuania), and Arnas Velicka (Lithuania).
Lithuanian early entrants Deividas Sirvydis and Matas Jogela intend to remain in the draft pool, sources tell Urbonas (Twitter link). According to Givony (all Twitter links), Sekou Doumbouya (France), Goga Bitadze (Georgia), Luka Samanic (Croatia), Adam Mokoka (France), and Marcos Louzada Silva (Brazil) will also stay in the draft.

Tony Parker Announces Retirement

June 10th, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA point guard Tony Parker has decided to retire from the NBA, he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Parker, who had spoken in the past about wanting to play 20 seasons, will instead call it a career after spending 18 years in the NBA.

“I’m going to retire,” Parker told Spears. “I decided that I’m not going to play basketball anymore.”

Parker, the 28th overall pick in the 2001 draft, made his debut for the Spurs later that year and played in San Antonio for the next 17 seasons. During that stretch, he made six All-Star appearances and earned four All-NBA nods. He won four championships with the Spurs and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2007.

Over the course of his career, which include with one season with the Hornets in 2018/19, Parker averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.6 APG in 1,254 regular season games (30.5 MPG). The Frenchman appeared in 226 postseason contests, averaging 17.9 PPG and 5.1 APG in those games.

Parker, who turned 37 years old in May, tells Spears that he feels like he’s physically capable of playing two more seasons in the NBA. However, he feels like the time is right to move on from his playing career.

“A lot of different stuff ultimately led me to this decision,” Parker said. “But, at the end of the day, I was like, if I can’t be Tony Parker anymore and I can’t play for a championship, I don’t want to play basketball anymore.”

While Parker moved on from the Spurs last summer, his retirement still represents the end of an era in San Antonio, where Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili also retired in recent years. The NBA has now lost three future Hall-of-Famers at the end of the 2018/19 season, with Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade also playing their final games.

According to Spears, Parker plans to continue living in San Antonio during his retirement, but will also spend time in France, where he’s the owner and president of French basketball club ASVEL. Spears’ article includes a lengthy Q&A with the veteran point guard, and is worth checking out in full.

Technically, Parker’s contract remains on the Hornets’ books for the 2019/20 season, but his $5.25MM salary is non-guaranteed. The club figures to release him at some point before his guarantee date on July 4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Team USA Announces 20-Player Camp Roster For World Cup

June 10th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced the group of 20 players that will participate in training camp this summer in advance of the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The camp will take place from August 5-9, and will be used to select the 12-man roster for this year’s World Cup in China.

The 20-man training camp roster is as follows:

Harrison Barnes (Kings)
Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
Andre Drummond (Pistons)
Eric Gordon (Rockets)
James Harden (Rockets)
Tobias Harris (Sixers / FA)
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
Brook Lopez (Bucks / FA)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
CJ McCollum (Trail Blazers)
Khris Middleton (Bucks)
Paul Millsap (Nuggets)
Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
P.J. Tucker (Rockets)
Kemba Walker (Hornets / FA)

“I am excited about getting to training camp in August and working with all of the players that have been selected to attend the USA National Team training camp in Las Vegas,” Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement. “We’ve got an excellent cross-section of veteran USA Basketball and NBA players, as well as some exciting younger players who possess amazing versatility.

“I’m appreciative of commitment that our National Team players continue to make, and the eagerness of the new players to become involved,” Popovich continued. “Selecting a 12-man team will be extremely difficult.”

It will be an eventful summer for many of the players on the 20-man Team USA training camp roster. Besides Harris, Lopez, and Walker, who are all headed for unrestricted free agency and could be on new teams by August, players like Barnes, Middleton, and Millsap could reach the open market if their player or team options are declined. Others – including Davis, Gordon, Kuzma, Tatum, and Tucker – have been mentioned in trade rumors.

Kuzma and Mitchell are the only players on the roster who haven’t played internationally for Team USA in the past. Five player on the roster (Barnes, Davis, Harden, Love, and Lowry) have won gold medals for USA Basketball at the 2012 or 2016 Olympics, while two others (Drummond and Gordon) have taken home gold at previous World Cups.

Previous reports indicated that Zion Williamson, John Collins, and Marvin Bagley are expected to be among the players named to a 10-man select team that will scrimmage with Team USA’s 20-man roster at the training camp in August.

Hornets To Hold Pre-Draft Workout Monday

June 9th, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by JD Shaw

The Hornets are hosting a pre-draft workout on Monday, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Charlotte will work out Ignas Brazdeikis (Michigan), Moses Brown (UCLA), Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State), DJ Laster (Gardner-Webb), Makai Mason (Baylor) and Marcquise Reed (Clemson).

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Walker, Durant, Robinson

June 9th, 2019 at 11:36am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Knox, the Knicks‘ first-round pick last season, is lobbying for R.J. Barrett to get that designation this year, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox, who attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a small Knicks contingent, may be on hand tomorrow for Barrett’s workout in New York. They have faced each other before as high school opponents in Florida.

“If we get the opportunity (to be teammates), I think we’d jell really well,’’ Knox said. “He’s a great player. He can pass well, score the ball well. I think we’d complement each other.’’

Barrett is generally considered the third best player in the draft and the likely selection for the Knicks with the No. 3 pick. It’s also possible that Knox and Barrett could be teammates with the Pelicans if both are included in a trade for Anthony Davis.

There’s more today from New York:

It appears Kemba Walker won’t be the solution for the Knicks’ backcourt, according to Ian Begley of SNY.TV. Rival executives tell Begley they don’t believe going to New York is a likely outcome for Walker if he decides to leave Charlotte. The three-time All-Star recently said that the Hornets are his “first priority” in free agency. They have the ability to offer Walker a five-year super-max deal worth up to $221.3MM, while other teams will be limited to four years at $140.6MM.
The Knicks have become so “brazen” in their belief that they are landing Kevin Durant that other free agents are getting upset, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. He states that the organization is behaving as though a deal is already in place, even though Durant has strongly denied making a decision, and the Warriors seem resigned that he will be gone after the playoffs.
New York should try to avoid giving up Mitchell Robinson in a trade for Davis, states Zack Rosenblatt of NBA.com. The second-round pick had a remarkable rookie season, averaging 2.4 blocks per night in 66 games. Rosenblatt sees Robinson as a perfect complement to play alongside Davis if the Knicks can make a deal happen without him.