Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Patrick Ewing Has Georgetown Meeting Today

April 3rd, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing will meet with Georgetown officials today to discuss their head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Ewing has had several phone conversations with the school since John Thompson III was fired last month. Charlotte plays at Washington Tuesday night, making the visit more convenient for the former Hoyas star.

Ewing has been studying the intracacies of running a college programs, Wojnarowski reports, and has has started researching potential assistants. He has also been talking to college coaches who made the jump from the NBA. Sources who have spoken with Ewing believe he is ready for the recruiting challenge that the college game presents.

John Thompson Jr., who coached the center from 1982-85, is a strong supporter of Ewing and has expressed that sentiment to officials from the university. Georgetown was among the college basketball powers of the era while Ewing was there, winning the national championship in 1984 and losing in the 1985 finals.

Wojnarowski adds that Ewing has also received endorsements from the NBA coaches he has worked under, Jeff and Stan Van Gundy and Steve Clifford. They have all given positive reports to Georgetown and the Korn Ferry search group about Ewing’s coaching abilities.

An NBA assistant since 2003, Ewing was close to being hired as the Kings’ head coach last spring, according to Wojnarowski. The last-second availability of Dave Joerger, who was fired in Memphis, made Sacramento’s front office change its mind.

Ewing ‘Major Candidate’ For Georgetown Opening

April 2nd, 2017 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing has become a “major candidate” to be the next head coach at Georgetown, according to Jon Rothstein of FanragSports.com.

A Hoyas star in the 1980s, Ewing has interviewed for the job several times since the firing of John Thompson III 10 days ago. A source said that Ewing is the first choice of Thompson’s father, who coached him in college and still wields considerable power in the program.

After a Hall of Fame career with the Knicks, Ewing turned to coaching in 2003. He worked as an assistant with the Rockets and Magic before coming to Charlotte in 2013.

North Carolina May Repeal ‘Bathroom Bill’

March 29th, 2017 at 10:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina may get rid of the controversial “bathroom bill” that resulted in this year’s All-Star Game being pulled out of Charlotte, according to Reuters.

Members of the state’s Republican-controlled legislature said tonight that they have reached a deal to repeal HB2, which bars transgender people from choosing which restroom to use based on their gender identities. A vote on the repeal measure is set for Thursday morning.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the decision to move this year’s All-Star festivities to New Orleans, but said giving Charlotte the 2019 game would be a “high priority” if the law were removed.

“The issues that we are primarily focused on are those of acceptance and inclusiveness — and the bill goes far beyond directing what bathrooms people should use,” Silver said when the decision was announced in October. “From that standpoint, it has been misrepresented. Ultimately for us, it’s about creating the right environment, specifically for a celebratory event like our All-Star game.”

Jordan Won't Allow Clifford To Rest Players

March 23rd, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets will not participate in the trend of resting players, according to David Scott of the Charlotte Observer. That would go against the philosophy of owner Michael Jordan and assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who didn’t take games off when they played, Scott adds. “It’s easy for me, because I’m working for an owner who just doesn’t believe in it,” coach Steve Clifford told Scott. “And I have an associate head coach who would kill me if I started doing it.”

Coaching Notes: Thompson, Ewing, Calipari, L. Brown

March 23rd, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After 13 seasons at Georgetown, John Thompson III is out as the team’s head coach, the school confirmed today (Twitter link via Gene Wang of The Washington Post). With the Hoyas’ job now open, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical notes (via Twitter) that Hornets associate head coach Patrick Ewing has never had much interest in NCAA jobs, but it’s possible that the Georgetown job “gives him pause.” According to Wojnarowski (Twitter links), Ewing remains close and loyal to the Thompson family, and came close to landing an NBA job last offseason, so he may very well continue to focus on landing an NBA head coaching job.

Let’s round up a few more coaching-related odds and ends from around the basketball world…

Kentucky head coach John Calipari signed another extension with the Wildcats, according to school, which announced in a press release that the two-year amendment to Calipari’s current contract locks him up through March 30, 2024. Calipari’s name occasionally pops up in NBA head coaching rumors, but it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Another former NBA coach appears to be seeking out a college job, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets that Larry Brown is trying to align himself as an assistant as part of Mike Woodson‘s candidacy for Indiana University’s job. Indiana isn’t interested, per Wojnarowski.
Meanwhile, Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports reports that LIU-Brooklyn reached out to Brown about the school’s head coaching job, and the two sides are expected to meet soon. However, a source tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that the interest is from Brown’s side, and LIU-Brooklyn doesn’t consider him a “viable candidate.”
This could be the first NBA season in more than 50 years in which no team makes an in-season coaching change, which amazes Magic head coach Frank Vogel, as John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com details. “The fact that no one has, it’s a shock,” Vogel said. “It’s been overly volatile and unreasonably so, quite frankly, over the last five-to-10 years in particular. (No firings) is something that is great for our profession. I think teams need to understand that continuity is important. Everybody wants to win now, but there is strength in continuity.”

Hornets Sign Weber To Two-Year Deal

March 19th, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Austin Kent

MARCH 19, 10:25am: The deal is official, according to a tweet from the team.

MARCH 18, 1:01pm: The Hornets and Briante Weber agreed on a two-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweeted Friday. That puts the undrafted 24-year-old in position to back up Kemba Walker for the remainder of the 2016/17 campaign.

Though the exact terms of the deal haven’t been announced, even if the second year of the contract isn’t guaranteed Weber appears in line to get more than enough of an opportunity to prove his worth over course of the season’s final month.

Weber has done relatively little across stops with the Warriors and Hornets this season but has only played more than a handful of minutes twice all year. Now that the struggling Hornets have started to come to terms with the fact that their playoff hopes are fading, that could change.

Per Jerry Stephens of Fan Sided’s Swarm and Sting blog, head coach Steve Clifford is open to slotting Weber ahead of Brian Roberts and the injured Ramon Sessions on the depth chart providing a slightly larger sample size for the guard to prove that there is legitimate value behind his impressive D-League statistics.

Weber averaged 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game in 31 contests for the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season.

'Havoc' Helped Weber Earn Two-Year Deal

March 18th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The “Havoc” system that Briante Weber learned at Virginia Commonwealth helped him land an extended contract with the Hornets, relays David Scott of The Charlotte Observer. Weber agreed to a two-year deal after nearly two full seasons of D-League play and 10-day contracts. He has developed a reputation as a defensive specialist who brings a lot of energy to the game. “I’m using my calling card, what got me here,” Weber said. “My defensive abilities, my tenacity. I want those things to help me stay in this league for a long time. They’re what helped me get this shot.”

Hornets Sign Johnny O’Bryant To Multiyear Deal

March 16th, 2017 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

1:15pm: The Hornets have formally confirmed O’Bryant’s new deal, which is a multiyear contract, according to a team release. Details haven’t been reported, but the pact likely includes a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18.

9:08am: Johnny O’Bryant‘s second 10-day contract with the Hornets expired overnight, but the veteran forward won’t have to seek out a new team in free agency. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Charlotte intends to lock up Bryant with a deal for the remainder of the 2016/17 season.

O’Bryant, 23, spent time with the Nuggets earlier this season before catching on with the Hornets. He has been sidelined as of late with a sprained ankle, but has been decent in limited action during his time with the Hornets, averaging 4.5 PPG on 53.3% shooting in just 8.5 minutes per contest (four games).

Assuming O’Bryant signs for the minimum salary and his new deal is finalized today, it would count for $161,483 on the Hornets’ cap. Charlotte still has its prorated room exception available, so the team isn’t necessarily limited to the minimum salary, but I’d be surprised if O’Bryant gets more than that.

The Hornets will have a full 15-man roster once O’Bryant officially re-signs, though they could have a roster spot opening soon — Briante Weber‘s second 10-day contract with the team expires this weekend, so Charlotte will have to decide whether to retain him for the rest of the season as well.

Nicolas Batum To Undergo CT Scan On Brain

March 15th, 2017 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Nicolas Batum, who has been battling painful migraines, will undergo a CT scan on his brain, league sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Hopefully that scan doesn’t reveal any serious health concerns for Batum.

And-Ones: Brown, Aldridge, Knicks, Pelicans

March 11th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rookie Jaylen Brown wasn’t projected to make an immediate impact in the league, but he’s impressing the Celtics with his ability to contribute, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes.

“I’m not sure I would have thought that [Brown] would be where he is right now, just because I thought that he had a lot of things that he really would have to improve on to be able to add value to winning at this level,” coach Brad Stevens said. “And he’s proven that he can pick things up on the fly and that he can play at a high level. I know there’s going to be ups and downs with anybody — and certainly with a 20-year-old — but he’s got a chance to be pretty darn good.”

The rookie is averaging 11.6 points per game while shooting 45.8% from behind the arc since the All-Star break, which is the highest mark on the team.

Boston has been patient as it attempts to construct a title contender. Forsberg notes that had the team dealt for Jimmy Butler, Brown would likely be playing for the Bulls. If the Hornets had accepted the bounty of picks for the No. 9 selection in the 2015 draft, Boston would have traded away Brooklyn’s 2016 pick and it wouldn’t have been able to draft Brown.

The Celtics are constantly looking for ways to acquire talent and they are on an endless search for another star. However, due to great asset management and excellent scouting, they may already have everything they are looking for on the roster.

Here’s more from around the league:

Coach Gregg Popovich said LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo more testing to determine the cause of the minor heart arrhythmia he suffered earlier this week, Tom Osborn of Spurs Nation relays. “They did some tests today and they are going to continue it on Monday. He is going to see some people on Monday and based on what they do and see, we’ll know better what we are really looking at. But we don’t know right now,” Popovich said.
The Knicks are trying to get back into the playoff picture, but it may be better for the team to tank with the hopes of landing a higher pick in the upcoming draft, Al Iannazzone of Newsday opines. In his piece, Iannazzone highlights some prospects that could help the franchise compete in the long-term.
The Pelicans have struggled since they acquired DeMarcus Cousins, but John Reid of The Times-Picayune believes it’s a result of the talent around Cousins and Anthony Davis. New Orleans has won just three of eight contests since the trade, though Cousins missed one of the wins because he was suspended.