Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Details On Hamidou Diallo Trade

June 23rd, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

When he was selected with the 45th overall pick in the draft on Thursday night, Hamidou Diallo technically became a member of the Nets. However, Brooklyn had already agreed to send that pick to the Hornets, who have subsequently agreed to flip it to the Thunder.

Neither of those trade can become official until after the July moratorium ends on July 6, but we now know what the Hornets will receive from the Thunder in exchange for Diallo. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports (via Twitter) that Oklahoma City will send its 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations to Charlotte as part of the swap.

Kulboka Likely To Remain In Europe

June 22nd, 2018 at 8:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets plan to stash 6’10” forward Arnoldas Kulboka in Europe, Chapel Fowler of the Charlotte Observer relays. The Hornets took the Lithuanian native with the No. 55 pick with that plan in mind. “He’s got a buyout that’s manageable, but we’ve talked to his representative …” GM Mitch Kupchak told Fowler and other media members. “At least right now, the plan is to keep him over there and hopefully watch him develop and then, when he’s ready, bring him back over here and see how good he is.”

The Hawks dealt their early second-round pick at No. 34 because the players they liked in that spot were guards and they already got two backcourt players in the first round, Cunningham reports in a separate tweet. The Hawks secured two future second-rounders in their deal with the Hornets. In the first round, Atlanta wound up with point guard Trae Young after dropping down two spots from the No. 3 slot and chose shooting guard Kevin Huerter at No. 19.
Kupchak would like to see point guard Kemba Walker play his whole career with the Hornets but can’t do much about that before Walker hits free agency next season, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. A contract extension isn’t feasible because of Charlotte’s salary-cap restraints. “He is on a (contract) that may make it a challenge going forward to figure out (the best course) before he becomes a free agent,” Kupchak told Bonnell.

Cavaliers Rumors: LeBron, Sexton, K. Walker

June 22nd, 2018 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers don’t yet know what LeBron James plans to do with his 2018/19 player option or his potential free agency, but GM Koby Altman said on Thursday night that the team has established a “good dialogue” with James’ camp, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.

“I think LeBron has more than earned the right to approach his contracts the way he does. He’s done that before, so this is nothing new for us,” Altman said. “We want to respect his space during this process, and I continue to have really good dialogue with his management team as he goes through that process. That’s probably all I can say at this point regarding him, but we don’t take him for granted. We love him, this city loves him. He means the world to us and this franchise.”

While James has yet to tip his hand on his preferred destination for the 2018/19 season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested during an appearance on the network that the family aspect of LeBron’s decision probably favors the Cavs and Lakers, as opposed to team like the Rockets. Windhorst isn’t sure that James’ family would feel comfortable going to Houston (video link via Lakers Outsiders).

Here’s more on the Cavs:

A previous report indicated that LeBron’s camp is high on Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, who was drafted eighth overall by the Cavs in last night’s draft. Although the Cavs hope that the idea of playing with Sexton could appeal to James, they were comfortable picking Sexton either way, sources tell Ken Berger of Bleacher Report. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavs fully intend to keep Sexton rather than trading him.
Two league sources tell Berger that the Cavaliers continue to explore the possibility of a Kemba Walker trade with the Hornets. It’s hard to imagine such a deal being completed without the inclusion of Sexton.
Executives who spoke to Berger were extremely skeptical that the Cavaliers’ addition of Sexton would move the needle at all for LeBron. However, according to Berger, opinions among executives are split on the Cavs’ chances of retaining the future Hall-of-Famer. One Eastern Conference exec says it would take “ownership of the team” for James to stay in Cleveland, while a Western executive put the odds at 50-50.
GM Koby Altman, who said that team owner Dan Gilbert will “spare no expense” as the Cavs push for another title, spoke about the team’s next steps, per Vardon: “We have to invest in player development, we have to get better with our youth and then we have to explore opportunities to add and try to improve our talent level as well. That’s my job and we are certainly trying to attack that as we speak for sure.”

Hawks To Trade Pick No. 34 To Charlotte

June 21st, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have agreed to trade the 34th pick to the Hornets, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Charlotte used the pick on Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham.

The 23-year-old point guard spent four years with the Jayhawks and was named Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.2 assists in leading Kansas to the conference title.

The Hornets need to find depth at point guard with back-up Michael Carter-Williams headed for free agency.

Atlanta will receive a pair of future second-rounders in return. They are due in 2019 and 2023, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

Clippers Acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander From Hornets

June 21st, 2018 at 7:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came off the board at No. 11 to the Hornets, but he won’t remain with Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reports that the Clippers are sending the No. 12 pick and two second-round picks to the Hornets in exchange for Gilgeous-Alexander, Woj adds (via Twitter).

With their newly-acquired No. 12 pick, the Hornets selected Miles Bridges, per Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). The deal is now official.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who remained out of sight through most of the workout process, gets his reported wish to play in L.A. At 6’6″, his size and versatility make him attractive to NBA scouts, some of whom believe he could become the best point guard in the draft. A late bloomer at Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander became a starter midway through the season and averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists in 37 games.

Bridges failed to raise his draft status after a surprise decision to return to Michigan State for his sophomore season, but he could still be a nice pickup for the Hornets. In two years with the Spartans, he averaged 17.0 points per game and shot 38% from 3-point range.

As for the future picks changing hands in the deal, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets will get second-rounders in 2020 and 2021.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Draft Updates: Mavericks, Kings, Celtics, Warriors

June 21st, 2018 at 1:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a “growing sense” that the Mavericks will scoop up Michael Porter Jr. if he’s still available at No. 5, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. He cautions that Dallas hasn’t reached a final decision, but the team likes Porter enough to take him even if he has to sit out all of next season because of back issues.

A report earlier today has the Sixers interested in moving into the top five to grab Porter, so it appears they’ll need a top four pick to trump the Mavericks. Porter also remains in contention for the Kings at No. 2.

There are more draft day rumors to pass along:

The Kings have narrowed their choices down to Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley III, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team’s ownership may break the deadlock later today. Mannix adds that the Hawks will get a “stampede” of offers from teams interested in Doncic if Sacramento opts for Bagley.
A conflicting report from Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated states that the Kings have already reached a decision and believe they are adding a “franchise altering prospect.” (Twitter link).
Former NBA coach Larry Brown believes Doncic will need to land in the right situation to be successful, relays Sportando (Twitter link). “At 16 he was as good as he’s now,” said Brown, who recently accepted a job with Fiat Torino in the Italian League. “He’s smart but I don’t know in which role he can play. Maybe forward/big man. If he’d play for [Rockets coach Mike] D’Antoni or a coach with European mentality he’d be phenomenal.”
The Celtics are working to trade into the top five, but their chances are small unless they part with Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The Clippers, who own the 12th and 13th selections, also want to move up and the Bucks would like to add more picks.
The Warriors are still hoping to buy a pick somewhere in the 30s, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). They worked out a group of players yesterday who might be available in that range, including Jacob Evans, Devon Hall, Gary Trent Jr. and Hamidou Diallo. Golden State already owns the 28th pick and can spend up to the maximum $5.1MM to acquire another.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander confirmed that he held a workout for the Clippers, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Gilgeous-Alexander admitted that he turned down a few workout requests, but didn’t specify the teams. In addition to the Clippers, the Knicks and Hornets have also watched him work out, according to Woo, who adds that Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t believed to have a promise but could be taken in the top 10 by teams that need backcourt help (Twitter link).
The Sixers attempted to see Donte DiVincenzo in person, but weren’t able to work out a time because of scheduling conflicts, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Mitchell Robinson was limited by a sprained left ankle in his recent workouts, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 7-footer expects to be fully recovered soon.

Teams Lining Up For No. 3 Pick If Kings Pass On Doncic

June 21st, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks, Magic, Bulls, Knicks, and Clippers have expressed interest in moving into the Hawks’ No. 3 slot to select either EuroLeague guard Luka Doncic or possibly Texas center Mohamed Bamba if the Kings pass on Doncic at No. 2, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Those teams, along with the Nuggets, have also talked to the Grizzlies at the No. 4 spot. The Celtics don’t appear to be a serious contender for either pick, O’Connor adds.

Here’s some other tidbits from O’Connor’s story:

The Hornets’ willingness to deal Kemba Walker has waned since they reached an agreement with the Nets to trade Dwight Howard for Timofey Mozgov. The Cavaliers have shown interest in solving their point guard dilemma by acquiring Walker.
The Clippers could select Miami (Fla.) guard Lonnie Walker with one of their first-rounders and then ship him to the Hawks. The Clippers have the No. 12 and No. 13 picks in the lottery.
The Bucks are trying to package the No. 17 pick with point guard Matthew Dellavedova‘s contract. Dellavedova has two years and $19.2MM remaining on his deal. Milwaukee would trade down in the draft in that scenario and not exit altogether.
The Timberwolves have a strong interest in Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo with the No. 20 pick.
There are rumblings that the Bulls made a promise to draft Boise State shooting guard Chandler Hutchison. That would have to be at No. 22 unless they make a deal.
The Trail Blazers and Lakers are interested in IMG Academy shooting guard Anfernee Simons with their late first-round picks.
Kentucky small forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs, and Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham are believed to have received draft promises.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Held Workouts In L.A.

June 21st, 2018 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held workouts in Los Angeles for teams interested in him, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports.

According to Deveney’s sources, the one-and-done Wildcats guard has spent the predraft process in California and his agent, Thad Foucher of the Wasserman Group, told teams to visit him there.

This sheds some light on why Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t make the rounds working out from city to city like other draft prospects. One reason why Gilgeous-Alexander chose that unusual route, according to a Deveney source, was a desire to be drafted by the Clippers with one of their late lottery picks.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander could go as high as No. 6 to the Magic, with the Cavaliers (No. 8) and Hornets (No.11) also taking a long look, Deveney adds. The Raptors are also reportedly trying to move into the lottery to secure his services.

Fowler: Why Hornets Wanted To Move Dwight Howard

June 20th, 2018 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer lays out the case for why the Hornets were eager to get rid of veteran center Dwight Howard. Charlotte is reportedly finalizing a trade with Brooklyn that will send Howard to the Nets.

Hornets Notes: Draft Plans, Roster Needs, Finch

June 19th, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are unlikely to trade the 11th overall pick, new president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said today, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. While Kupchak wouldn’t be surprised to see some deals made in the top 10, it sounds like he expects his club to remain out of the fray and use the No. 11 selection.

As for which prospect the Hornets might draft with that pick, Kupchak didn’t tip his hand, suggesting that the front office will opt for the best player available. However, he did speculate that the player who fits that bill will be a guard or a wing. As Bonnell explains, Kupchak expects the top five big men in this year’s draft to come off the board in the top 10, leaving guards and wings as the best players available by No. 11.

Here’s more on the Hornets:

Asked whether the Hornets have any pressing needs that have to be addressed prior to training camp, Kupchak said he wants to add at least one more ball-handling guard, writes Bonnell. That player could be acquired in the draft, free agency, or a trade.
If the Hornets didn’t get a chance to bring in a player for an individual workout, that doesn’t mean the club won’t draft that player, Kupchak said today, according to Bonnell. That stance could apply to someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a projected lottery pick who reportedly hasn’t had any pre-draft workouts with NBA teams.
Kupchak said it’s very possible that the Hornets will use their No. 55 pick to nab and draft-and-stash prospect, per Bonnell.
The Pelicans granted the Hornets and Suns permission to speak to lead assistant Chris Finch about their head coaching jobs this spring, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. While Finch’s interview with Phoenix was reported in April, he hadn’t previously been identified as a candidate for the Charlotte job. The Hornets ultimately hired James Borrego to replace Steve Clifford.