Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Nets’ Playoff Chances

January 13th, 2019 at 9:26pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Heading into the 2018/19 season, many expected the Nets to make another jump in the standings as a result of their players developing and the quality depth they added in the offseason. However, there were no expectations that at the halfway point of the season, the Nets would be sitting in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference despite not having their best player available for the past two months.

The Nets are 21-23, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they were 8-18 in early December. Instead of focusing on getting the best draft pick possible, Kenny Atkinson continued to believe that his team could turn it around, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Since December 6, the Nets own the league’s 12th-ranked offense and 15th-best defense.

D’Angelo Russell has made strides as a playmaker and scorer, Spencer Dinwiddie is a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, and Joe Harris has provided elite shooting and floor-spacing.

Keep in mind that a lot of this recent run by the Nets has come without Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, not to mention Caris LeVert. The Nets use their depth and bench to their advantage on a nightly basis, which allows them to stay afloat when injuries strike.

With that being said, many still expect teams like the Pistons and Hornets to improve moving forward, while the Wizards have found new life since John Wall went down for the season. Do the Nets have enough top-end talent to lead them to the playoffs? Or will their strong bench and depth be enough for them to sneak in? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments!

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Kemba Walker Trusts Kupchak To Build Hornets’ Roster

January 10th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

A Hornet since 2011, Kemba Walker has still appeared in just two career postseason series, a factor he’ll surely consider as he weighs his upcoming free agency decision. However, Walker said this week on ESPN’s The Jump that he has spoken to general manager Mitch Kupchak about what the team has in mind for roster upgrades and has faith in Kupchak to build Charlotte’s roster.

“They know. They know what they got to do,” Walker said. “That’s not my job. I’ll leave it up to those guys. … We have Mitch now, who’s a great guy who’s done a great job at building teams over his GM career, and I have a lot of trust in him.”

The Hornets are currently carrying several oversized contracts on their cap, which will make it tricky for the team to substantially improve its roster this season or next. Reports have suggested that Charlotte is making an effort to move at least one of those contracts – possibly Nicolas Batum‘s – by dangling Frank Kaminsky as a sweetener. That would create some added flexibility for Kupchak and his front office this offseason, but there’s no indication that any deal is close at this point.

Of course, at this time last year, it was Walker who was the subject of those trade rumors, but the Hornets held onto their star point guard through the 2018 trade deadline. And after Kupchak took over for former GM Rich Cho in the spring, that trade speculation died down for the most part, with the former Lakers GM expressing multiple times that he viewed Walker as a long-term building block.

Walker, who turns 29 in May, will be an unrestricted free agent in July, at which point the Hornets could offer him up to five years and a projected $189MM+ (or $221MM if he meets the Designated Veteran Extension criteria). It’s not clear if Charlotte would be willing to go that high, but the club is expected to make a strong push to bring back Walker.

For his part, the veteran point guard joked that he’s not sure what he’ll say to “the GOAT” (team owner Michael Jordan) at the negotiating table, adding that he’s in wait-and-see mode in regard to his free agency.

“I want to enjoy that process I guess, and just wait for it over the summer,” Walker said on The Jump.

Market For Kevin Love Appears Sparse

January 8th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Pinning down Kevin Love‘s trade value is going to be a challenge and pulling off a trade for the big man may be problematic for rival teams, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report relays.

“The problem is: You have a rookie GM [Koby Altman]—who’s a really good guy and has done some really good things and is trying to prove himself. And you’ve got a delusional owner [Dan Gilbert],” a Western Conference executive tells Berger. “And they’re going to think they’re supposed to get something for the guy. You’re not getting an asset for him under any circumstances.”

Love, who remains sidelined with a foot injury, with will make approximately $28.9MM next season in the first year of the extension he signed last summer.

“It’s a lot to ask someone to take on $144 million for a 30-year-old with an injury history,” another executive said. “You’re dealing with a very small, narrow marketplace for him.”

Love isn’t eligible to be traded until January 24, which is the six-month anniversary of him signing his extension in Cleveland. Finding a suitor will be an issue. The Cavaliers will hope that a contending team will be willing to take a huge risk in order to inch closer to the Warriors atop the league’s hierarchy.

The Rockets and Thunder both make sense as landing spots should a trade occur, one Western Conference executive speculated. The Nuggets have Paul Millsap‘s $30MM salary coming off the books next summer and are fans of Love’s game. The Trail Blazers could use a floor spacer and the Pacers may see the upside he provides. The Hornets and Mavericks have eyes for the big man, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears, but finding a deal for either team is no easy task.

“It’s going to have to be a playoff team in a non-destination market,” one of the executives tells Berger. “A team that has a couple of stars that isn’t going to get anybody in free agency because they don’t have the room or nobody’s going to go play there.”

The Thunder-Love scenario is intriguing. Love and Russell Westbrook remain friends and have been close since their days at UCLA. Westbrook’s massive deal worth over $200MM runs through the 2022/23 (with a player option on the last year), which is the exact same timeline as Love’s contract. Paul George is under team control at least through the 2020/21 season and with those contracts, as well as Steven Adams‘ $100MM contract on the books, the team isn’t going to have cap room anytime soon.

“[GM Sam Presti] will figure it out in three years when Russell and Paul are coming to the end of their run,” the Western Conference GM said of a potential Love-to-the-Thunder trade.

It’s difficult for OKC to construct a deal for Love that doesn’t involve giving up one or more of the team’s key contributors due to the big man’s $24.1MM salary. Dennis Schroder ($15.5MM), Alex Abrines ($5.46M), and Patrick Patterson ($5.45M) would make up an interesting package, though Schroder has brought much-needed playmaking for the team, taking some of those duties off of Westbrook this year.

Adams’ salary clocks in at slightly under $24.2MM and if the Thunder have confidence that Nerlens Noel can step up into a bigger role (a big if), perhaps trading their enforcer in the middle makes sense.

However, it’s hard to envision why the Cavs would make such a deal beyond Adams’ contract expiring two years earlier than Love’s. Cleveland covets young players and draft picks as it begins a rebuild. Bringing in an additional team on a three-way trade might be the solution should a deal come together, though that is simply my speculation.

Love’s defense adds another risk to a complicated situation, as people within the league believe he is a liability on the defensive end.

“When we need a bucket against Cleveland, that’s who we attack,” an anonymous coach tells Berger. “Guys like him become hard to hide. There’s always been a premium on pick-and-roll defense, but even more so now. Everybody is spreading the floor and driving and kicking and trying to generate something going downhill.”

One executive groups Love’s contract in with John Wall‘s, calling the pair of deals the “two worst contracts in the league.”

“How many teams are really looking for a dinosaur face-up 4-man, or a 5 who can’t switch pick-and-roll?” the exec said of Love (via Berger).

Most of the pessimism comes from Love’s contract. The executive compared Love to Brook Lopez – an offensive-focused player who landed just a one-year $3.4MM deal with the Bucks this past offseason – suggesting that Love wouldn’t receive much on the open market.

The evaluation seems extremely pessimistic. Love still has value; the questions is: what is that value? He can still help a team in the win column and it’ll only take one team willing to meet the Cavs’ demands to make a deal.

Examining Upcoming Free Agency For Kemba Walker

January 6th, 2019 at 4:51pm CST by JD Shaw

Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer examines the situation between Kemba Walker and the Hornets, with Walker set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Charlotte has failed to build a successful team around Walker during his time with the team, Fowler writes, but could offer him a five-year maximum extension worth $190MM in free agency. Walker has averaged a career-high 25.3 points, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals this season with the Hornets.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/5/19

January 5th, 2019 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

The Hornets recalled Dwayne Bacon from the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced on Twitter. Bacon was with Charlotte for this afternoon’s game in Denver, but didn’t see any action. He has played in 18 NBA games this season and has made numerous trips to the G League.
The Spurs sent rookie Lonnie Walker to their Austin affiliate for an afternoon game, according to a tweet from the G League team. Walker has appeared in just one game for San Antonio as he tries to work his way back from a torn meniscus he suffered during the preseason.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/4/19

January 4th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter and big man Ivan Rabb from the Memphis Hustle, the team’s PR department tweets. Carter has appeared in 13 games with the Hustle, averaging 17.8 PPG and 5.5 APG in 33.0 MPG. Rabb has played five games with the Hustle and posted averages of 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG in 36.7 MPG.
The Trail Blazers transferred guard Wade Baldwin IV to the Texas Legends, according to a team press release. Baldwin has appeared in 13 games with the Trail Blazers but averaged just 5.5 MPG in those outings. He saw action in 17 games with the Legends last season. He joins forward Caleb Swanigan, who was transferred to the Legends on December 31st.
The Timberwolves assigned rookie forward Keita Bates-Diop to the Iowa Wolves, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round selection has already played 13 G League games, posting averages of 17.5 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 35.7 MPG.
The Hornets recalled forward Dwayne Bacon, the re-assigned him to the Greensboro Swarm, according to team press releases. That allowed Bacon, who has appeared in 18 games with the Hornets this season, to play for the Swarm against the Lakeland Magic on Friday. He’s averaged 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.2 APG in six G League appearances.
The Pacers recalled forward Ike Anigbogu from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. In 14 games with the Mad Ants, Anigbogu posted averages of 11.6 PPG and 10.1 RPG in 29.3 MPG.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/3/19

January 3rd, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by JD Shaw

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

The Hornets assigned Dwayne Bacon to the Greensboro Swarm, announcing the news in a press release today. Bacon has averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18 games with Charlotte this season.
The Grizzlies assigned Jevon Carter and Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle, G League affiliate of the team, according to a tweet from the club’s PR department. Rabb played in the Hustle’s loss against Stockton on Thursday, adding 19 points and seven rebounds.
The Clippers recalled then later assigned guard Jerome Robinson to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the team announced on Thursday. Robinson was drafted by the Clippers with the No. 13 pick in 2018.

Cody Zeller To Miss 4-6 Weeks After Undergoing Hand Surgery

January 3rd, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 3: Zeller underwent successful surgery on the third metacarpal of his right hand today, the team announced in a press release. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks of action.

DECEMBER 31: The Hornets lost their starting center tonight when Cody Zeller suffered a fracture to his right hand, according to a tweet from the team. He left the game with Orlando for X-rays midway through the third quarter.

Zeller has been effective since reclaiming the first-string center role this year, averaging 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in about 24 minutes per night. New coach James Borrego placed an emphasis on keeping Zeller healthy all the way back to preseason, notes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Zeller played in just 33 games last season.

There’s no immediate word on how long Zeller will be sidelined, but the Hornets will likely continue their committee approach to the position until he returns. Willy Hernangomez, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum, Frank Kaminsky and Bismack Biyombo have all seen time in the middle.

“Cody’s so valuable to us on so many levels,” Borrego said. “… Willy is capable. Frank and Biz have started before. All three are capable starters in this league. We’re deep at that position. MKG and Marvin have also played some [center].” (Twitter link)

Hornets Open To Trading Frank Kaminsky?

January 3rd, 2019 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets may be ready to include big man Frank Kaminsky in a trade, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, who reports that teams – including some contenders – have expressed interest in the former first-round pick.

While the Hornets would likely have plenty of potential trade partners to choose from if they were to move Kaminsky on his own, they would prefer to attach him to another big contract, according to Deveney’s report.

Sources tell Sporting News that Charlotte would like to get out from under Nicolas Batum‘s deal, which has another two years and $52.7MM left after this season. At least one team was told Kaminsky could be had in a trade if Batum was included as well, per Deveney. Bismack Biyombo‘s contract, which has one year and $17MM left after this season, is another pricey deal the Hornets are interested in moving.

Pairing Kaminsky with a big contract may be a tough sell though — as Deveney notes, the 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent himself in July, so he’ll be in line for a raise on his $3.63MM salary later this year, especially if he plays well for a new team. Plus, Kaminsky’s role has been very limited under new head coach James Borrego this season, suggesting he may not be part of Charlotte’s future. As such, potential suitors figure to be wary about making substantial offers for him.

Kaminsky, the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft, was a reliable contributor for the Hornets in 2017/18, averaging 11.1 PPG and shooting 38.0% on three-pointers in 79 games (23.2 MPG). This season, however, he has been in and out of the rotation, playing just 11.6 MPG in 22 contests. Even with Cody Zeller sidelined, Kaminsky only played 16 minutes in Wednesday’s blowout loss to Dallas. That limited role prompts Deveney to speculate that the fourth-year power forward “would likely welcome a change of scenery.”

Back in 2015, the Hornets reportedly turned down a Celtics trade offer that included four first-round picks in order to draft Kaminsky, so the optics for the franchise wouldn’t be great if he’s moved now for a modest return. Of course, letting him walk for nothing in the summer might look worse.

Willy Hernangomez’s Opportunity Tied To Defense

January 2nd, 2019 at 10:42pm CST by clarkcrum

With starting center Cody Zeller injured and out for the foreseeable future, the Hornets plan to give big man Willy Hernangomez a chance to grab the newly available minutes provided his defense holds up, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

“I think my defense is getting way better,” Hernangomez said yesterday. “Really knowing all the coverages (and) knowing all the scouting for the defense. All the coaches have talked to me of late and said I’m doing good things. The offense will come. I know it’s really important to focus on defense, particularly if I start. To lock in.”

Because the Hornets are about to embark on a daunting January schedule that features 10 road games and 10 opponents with records of .500 or better, Hernangomez has the opportunity to show the Hornets’ brass just how valuable he can be to the franchise. And as he knows, his defensive performance will speak the loudest volume.

“He has to protect that paint for us now,” head coach James Borrego said. “He’s got to stay in front of the ball, and rebound and defend. Not just allow guards and bigs to come down and horse us inside. He has the ability to do that.”

Hernangomez, 24, is averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest so far this season. If things go as planned for the big man, all of those numbers should go up soon.