Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nicolas Batum Thrives In First Scrimmage

November 12th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

With a full scrimmage under his belt, Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum is expected to make his 2017/18 debut on Wednesday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Batum tore a ligament in his left elbow back on October 4.

One of the biggest impacts that Batum will have on the team is with his ball movement, as he posted 5.9 assists in addition to his 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Hornets last season.

“I bet he got an assist to everybody he played with today. There were a couple of times when he hit me wide-open and I wasn’t expecting the ball,” Hornets forward Marvin Williams said after the practice.

The club will get an even better idea of how ready Batum is to return to in-game action when they ramp things up at the Hornets’ practice on Monday.

Hornets Will Need To Shake Up Lineup At Full Strength

November 10th, 2017 at 4:55pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hornets will soon be charged with the task of working Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Nicolas Batum back into their lineup, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The former will return to action after a three-game absence tonight.

Batum, sidelined since October with a left elbow injury, could return to the court as early as next Wednesday. Both will be welcome additions to a Hornets lineup that has moseyed out to a 5-6 start this season.

The NBA fined Hornets big man Dwight Howard $25K for making an obscene gesture at a fan last weekend, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.

Hornets Not Expected To Pursue Eric Bledsoe Trade

November 3rd, 2017 at 9:18pm CST by Austin Kent

Don’t expect the Hornets to make a play for somebody like Eric Bledsoe, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. A lateral move to add another point guard to the mix alongside Kemba Walker wouldn’t be worth what the Suns would presumably want for him.

Southeast Notes: Simmons, Batum, Wizards

November 2nd, 2017 at 2:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Magic have jumped out to a 6-2 start this season despite the fact that much of the core they’ve featured this season is a carryover from last year’s team that finished just 29-53. The X-Factor that’s helping the team perform so much better in 2017/18 could very well be Jonathon Simmons, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes.

Simmons signed a three-year deal worth $20MM this summer and has earned the trust of head coach Frank Vogel early in his Magic career.

“He has earned the trust. You know, when we put the ball in his hands, typically, he makes good things happen,” Vogel said. “He’s a good decision maker, and he’s a threat going to the basket. I mean, he really attacks the rim and will get to the free throw line and will finish. He does a good job making the extra pass, too. I do have a lot of trust; he’s earned it very early with me in his stay [with the Magic].”

Through eight games with the Magic so far this year, Simmons has averaged 15.8 points and 3.6 rebounds.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

According to the man himself, Nicolas Batum could be cleared to practice in the next nine days. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, caught up with the Hornets swingman as he recovers from a torn ligament in his left elbow that has sidelined him since early October.
The Heat have looked thin on the perimeter thanks to a rash of injuries at the position. In a question-and-answer with readers, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discusses whether or not the team ought to have considered using the money spent on Kelly Olynyk to pursue a wing, like Rudy Gay.
The Wizards parted ways with Carrick Felix earlier today but have no immediate plans to fill the vacant roster spot, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets.

Hornets Recall Michael Carter-Williams From G League

November 1st, 2017 at 11:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Point guard Michael Carter-Williams has been recalled from the G League by the Hornets, the team announced today in a press release. GM Rich Cho said that Carter-Williams scrimmaged with the Greensboro Swarm to test his knees — MCW may play on Charlotte’s upcoming four-game road trip, as Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets.

Hornets Assign Michael Carter-Williams To G League

October 31st, 2017 at 9:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Backup Hornets point guard Michael Carter-Williams has been assigned to the Greensboro Swarm on a rehab assignment, the team announced today in a press release. Carter-Williams, who is recovering from knee issues, has yet to make his debut for Charlotte.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/29/17

October 29th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the G League moves from around the Association today:

The Hornets have assigned two-way player Mangok Mathiang to the Greensboro Swarm, the club’s public relations department announced on Twitter. Mathiang saw action in just one NBA game during his stint with the big league squad before joining the franchise’s affiliate.
The Nets have recalled point guard Isaiah Whitehead from the Long Island Nets. He spent the weekend with the G League affiliate.

Hornets Exercise Option On Frank Kaminsky

October 29th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hornets have exercised the fourth-year option on Frank Kaminsky‘s rookie contract, the team announced in a press release. The 24-year-old big man will remain with the squad through the 2018/19 campaign.

Over the course of his first two seasons with the franchise, Kaminsky has established himself as a solid inside-out threat and important component of the team’s second unit.

In 75 games with the squad last year, Kaminsky averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, adding 1.6 made threes per contest to boot. Those figures are likely to rise in 2017/18, his scoring average north of 14 over the course of the first five games of his third season.

Kaminsky, the ninth-overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft will earn $3.6MM next year.

Hornets' Frank Kaminsky Coming Into His Own

October 28th, 2017 at 11:52am CST by marksuleymanov

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes that despite a love-hate relationship with Hornets fans, Frank Kaminsky is playing with a renewed confidence. After offseason surgery on his chest, which delayed his offseason workouts for several weeks, Kaminsky shown improvements all across the board.

Julyan Stone Expected To Miss 4 To 6 Weeks

October 23rd, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets will be without Julyan Stone for the next four to six weeks because of a hamstring injury, the team announced on its website.

Stone has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, which occurred during Sunday’s practice. His injury is another blow to the backcourt depth for the Hornets, who are already missing Michael Carter-Williams, who had platelet-rich plasma treatments on both knees over the offseason.

Stone, 28, signed with Charlotte in late August after a prolonged effort to get out of his contract with an Italian team. He wanted to return to the United States to be closer to his ailing father.

Stone has appeared in both of the Hornets’ games so far, averaging 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9 minutes per night. He spent time with the Nuggets and Raptors before heading overseas.