Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Chalmers, Magic, Foster, Hawks

June 4th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agents and former Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers have been working out together in Miami, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. They were Miami’s starting backcourt during its championship runs in 2012 and 2013. Wade finished last season with the Heat, while Chalmers played for the Grizzlies. They have been working out at DBC Fitness, a Miami gym run by David Alexander, one of LeBron James‘ trainers, Winderman notes.

In other news around the Southeast Division:

New Magic coach Steve Clifford is bringing in two of his former Hornets assistants in Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Both worked under Clifford the past four seasons. New Knicks coach David Fizdale was interested in bringing on Delany to his staff, Stein adds.
Greg Foster will join the staff of new Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Foster had been an assistant with the Bucks since 2014.
Georgia forward Yante Maten is among the draft prospects the Hawks will work out on Tuesday, according to a team release. Elijah Stewart (USC), Isaiah Wilkins (Virginia), Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Elijah Brown (Oregon) and Trevon Bluiett (Xavier) are also scheduled to visit.

Mikal Bridges Working Out For Bulls, Knicks, Sixers

June 4th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already worked out for the Hornets, former Villanova small forward Mikal Bridges auditioned for the Bulls today, and also has workouts scheduled with the Knicks and Sixers, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

Bridges could end up adding more teams to his list of pre-draft workouts, but the current group is a reflection of his draft stock, as those four teams range from No. 7 (Chicago) to No. 11 (Charlotte). Bridges is viewed as a probable lottery pick who has a chance to come off the board in the top 10.

Speaking today to reporters, including Friedell, Bridges said he thinks he’d fit in “perfectly” with the Bulls’ young core. However, Chicago is far from the only good fit for the 3-and-D wing. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote that Bridges is “an easy player to slot on almost any NBA roster,” given his role-player potential.

Bridges took a major step forward during his junior year at Villanova, increasing his PPG from 9.8 in 2016/17 to 17.7 in 2017/18, en route to a second championship in three years. He also contributed 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.1 BPG for the Wildcats, with a very efficient shooting line of .514/.435/.851.

Hornets Work Out Lonnie Walker IV

June 4th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Miami guard Lonnie Walker IV, considered a potential lottery pick, had his first pre-draft workout on Sunday when he met with the Hornets, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. According to Bonnell, Walker indicated that he’ll audition for about six more teams, all of whom are picking in the 10-to-20 range in this month’s draft.

Draft Notes: Antetokounmpo, Grizzlies, Sanon

June 3rd, 2018 at 8:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kostas Antetokounmpo suffered a groin injury during his workout with the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s younger brother could not complete the workout, but Bonnell notes that the injury does not appear to be serious.

The Dayton product has a workout scheduled with the Grizzlies on Monday, though it’s unlikely he’ll participate in it after sustaining the injury. Here are more notes on the upcoming draft:

The Grizzlies will work out Jordan Barnett (Missouri), Demetrius Dyson (Samford), Obi Enechionya (Temple), Devon Hall (Virginia), and Malik Newman (Kansas) on Monday, according to a team press release. Memphis owns the No. 4 and No. 32 picks in the upcoming draft.
Bruce Brown Jr. (Miami) will work out for the Timberwolves on Monday, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News passes along via Twitter. Wolfson notes that Brown interviewed with Minnesota at the NBA Combine.
Ukrainian point guard Issuf Sanon has interviews with 24 teams at the NBA Global Camp in Italy, Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The analyst adds that the 19-year-old would be a great draft-and-stash prospect.

Draft Notes: Hornets, Grizzlies, Blazers, Lakers, Nuggets

June 2nd, 2018 at 6:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Villanova’s Mikal Bridges had his conditioning tested during his first pre-draft workout today in Charlotte, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges and St. Joseph’s James Demery were the only players at the hour-long session, which featured full-court sprints mixed with long-range shooting toward the end of the process.

“They pushed us,” Bridges said. “I’m really well conditioned and they [wanted to see me] shoot the ball while I’m tired. [It was about] showing them everything, like some ballhandling that they didn’t see” when he was in college.

Projected as a lottery pick, Bridges may still be available when the Hornets select at No. 11. However, Bonnell notes that the Cavaliers, Knicks and Sixers — the three teams directly in front of Charlotte — could all have interest.

There’s more draft-related news to pass along:

The Hornets have six more players coming in tomorrow, highlighted by potential lottery pick Lonnie Walker of Miami, Bonnell tweets. Dayton’s Kostas Antetokounmpo, whose brother is a star with the Bucks, will also be on hand.
Antetokounmpo will be in Memphis on Monday for a six-player workout, the Grizzlies announced in an e-mail. Joining him will be Missouri’s Jordan Barnett, Temple’s Obi Enechionyia, Virginia’s Devon Hall, Kansas’ Malik Newman and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson.
The Trail Blazers focused on 3-and-D players in today’s workout, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, Miami’s Bruce Brown and Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans all fit that description, which appears to be what the Blazers want with the 24th pick. “I can guard multiple positions and it’s kind of a role where the responsibility isn’t so great,” DiVincenzo said. “The responsibility is you have two things to really do, really focus on, and be great at. And when you can do that, it just opens up time on the floor.”
The Trail Blazers also held a workout on Friday, relays Casey Holdahl of NBA.com, with UCLA’s Aaron Holiday, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, Duke’s Gary Trent Jr., Tulane’s Melvin Frazier, Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop and Louisville’s Raymond Spalding attending.
The Lakers will bring in six players for a Sunday workout, the team announced on Twitter. Scheduled to attend are Michigan’s Moritz Wagner, Missouri State’s Alize Johnson, Connecticut’s Terry Larrier, Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell, Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder and TCU’s Kenrich Williams.
The Nuggets have a pair of sessions set for early next week, the team announced through e-mail. Coming in Monday will be Bates-Diop, along with Creighton’s Marcus Foster, Colorado’s George King, USC’s Chimezie Metu and Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn. Scheduled for Tuesday are Holiday and Williams, as well as Notre Dame’s Matt Farrell, Penn State’s Tony Carr and Elie Okobo of France.
Micah Seaborn of Monmouth, one of the late deciders at Wednesday’s withdrawal deadline, elected to remain in the draft, according to Josh Newman of USA Today.

Hornets Notes: Porter, Walker, Kaminsky, Howard

June 1st, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Porter Jr. could be a risk worth taking for the Hornets if he lasts to the 11th pick, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Porter was among the top recruits in college basketball last year, but a back injury sidelined him for almost the entire season. He underwent surgery to remove a piece of bone that was placing pressure on a nerve and has declared himself to be healthy.

Porter has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, standing 6’10” with the skills of a small forward. If enough teams are scared off by his medical history, Porter could present new GM Mitch Kupchak with his first major draft decision since coming to Charlotte.

There’s more from Charlotte:

The Hornets might be willing to ship Kemba Walker to Cleveland in a deal involving the No. 8 pick, but LeBron James‘ uncertain status makes the trade problematic, Bonnell notes in the same story. Dealing Walker, who has one year left on his contract, for a draft choice would help ease Charlotte’s cap situation, but the Cavaliers won’t know until July if James is leaving. The eighth pick becomes extremely valuable if Cleveland is facing a rebuilding project.
Frank Kaminsky hasn’t done enough in three seasons to convince the Hornets he’s worthy of a long-term investment, Bonnell adds. The ninth pick in the 2015 draft has averaged 10.0 points per game since joining the team, and there are concerns about his rebounding and passing. Bonnell believes Charlotte wouldn’t hesitate to draft another power forward.
Dwight Howard could be a buyout candidate if he’s still on the roster in February, Bonnell writes in a mailbag column. The veteran center will make more than $23.8MM in the final year of his contract.
In the same piece, Bonnell puts the odds at 50-50 for free agents Michael Carter-Williams and Treveon Graham to return to the Hornets next season. An abundance of guaranteed contracts for wing players will limit Graham’s opportunity, while Carter-Williams is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he shot a career-low 33% from the field.

Draft Notes: M. Bridges, Pinson, Farrell, Rowsey

June 1st, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

With the deadline passing for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft, pre-draft workouts are taking on a new level of importance. Here are a few notes to pass on as the draft looms 20 days from now:

Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and North Carolina’s Theo Pinson will work out for the Hornets on Saturday, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Notre Dame guard Matt Farrell has sessions scheduled Monday with the Lakers and Wednesday with the Nuggets, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).
Marquette’s Andrew Rowsey has workouts upcoming with the Raptors, Mavericks, Lakers and Kings, tweets Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.
The Kings are welcoming six players for a session today, relays Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento (Twitter link). On hand will be Creighton’s Marcus Foster, West Virginia’s Daxter Miles, SMU’s Ben Emelogu and Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez, along with Missouri’s Alize Johnson and Jordan Barnett.
The Jazz have a workout set for today with Oregon’s Troy Brown, West Virginia’s Jevon Carter, Georgia’s Yante Maten, Michigan’s Moritz Wagner and Kansas’ Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Malik Newman, the team announced on Twitter.
Newman was in Phoenix for a workout on Thursday, the Suns tweeted. He was joined by Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop, Virginia’s Devon Hall, Colorado’s George King, Xavier’s J.P. Macura and USC’s Chimezie Metu.

Nored Hired To Join Borrego's Staff

May 28th, 2018 at 7:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets will hire Ronald Nored as an assistant coach on James Borrego‘s staff, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Nored served as the Nets’ G-League head coach this past season.

Hornets Notes: Walker, Whiteside, Draft, Salary Cap

May 27th, 2018 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

The lack of teams with cap space and a weak crop of free agent point guards could work to the Hornets’ advantage if they decide to trade Kemba Walker, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. That’s the assessment of ESPN’s Bobby Marks, a former executive with the Nets, who thinks Walker will reach his peak trade value this summer. Walker has one year left on his contract, and Marks states that teams would rather pick up a player in the offseason rather than close to the trade deadline.

Addressing trade rumors during the season, team owner Michael Jordan said he would only consider moving Walker if it meant getting an All-Star in return. Marks considers that unrealistic, saying a lottery pick is likely the best the Hornets can hope for. The franchise is near the tax threshold and would like to unload one of its expensive contracts in any Walker deal, but Marks says that will only happen if Walker’s new team gets assurances he will re-sign.

There’s more today from Charlotte:

Hassan Whiteside would help the Hornets get younger at center, but his contract woudn’t make him a wise pickup, Bonnell cautions in a separate piece. Whiteside clashed with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this season over reduced playing time, and there are indications out of Miami that the team would like to deal him. Charlotte has Dwight Howard signed for one more year at $23.8MM, while Whiteside is owed $25.4MM next season with a $27MM player option for 2019/20. Bonnell doubts the investment in Whiteside would be worth it, considering the NBA is trending away from traditional low-post centers.
In another story, Bonnell analyzes the Hornets’ draft prospects and takes a look at new GM Mitch Kupchak’s drafting history. Bonnell identifies a top eight of DeAndre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, Michael Porter, Wendell Carter and Trae Young, and states that anyone else has a reasonable chance of being available when Charlotte picks at No. 11.
This year’s extended playoffs, which feature a seventh game in both conference finals for the first time since 1979, will provide the NBA with extra revenue that will affect next year’s salary cap, Bonnell tweets. That should raise the $101MM cap projection at least slightly and benefit cash-strapped teams like the Hornets, who already have $117.9MM in committed salary for next season.

Hornets Rumors: Walker, Quinter, Whiteside, Workouts

May 24th, 2018 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A lottery pick and a young player would be a reasonable return in any trade involving Kemba Walker, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. In consultation with ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Bonnell takes an in-depth look into the possibility of trading Walker, who has a year remaining on his contract. All-Star caliber point guards are highly valued but any suitor would want to feel they could re-sign Walker. The Hornets could package a bad contract with Walker but only if he committed to re-signing with his new team, Bonnell adds.

In other developments involving the Hornets:

The Hornets have parted ways with director of pro personnel Todd Quinter, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Changes are being made in the Charlotte organization with recently-hired Mitch Kupchak running the front office. Quinter is one of the league’s most seasoned scouts, Stein notes.
It wouldn’t make sense for the Hornets to pursue Heat center Hassan Whiteside in a trade, Bonnell opines in a separate story. The Hornets already have an older version of Whiteside in Dwight Howard and don’t need to saddle their payroll by adding Whiteside’s contract, which has two years and $52.4MM remaining, Bonnell continues. The Hornets would be better off moving forward next summer after Howard’s contract expires, Bonnel adds.
Charlotte is bringing in six draft prospects on Friday: Guards Connor Burchfield (William & Mary), Jon Davis (Charlotte), Lexus Williams (Boise State) and Ray Ona Embo (Tulane); forward Marcanvis Hymon (Ole Miss); and center Bakary Konate (Minnesota).