Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Bridges, T. Young, Heat, Bryant

March 27th, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

After missing all of last season due to felony domestic violence charges, Miles Bridges has been the Hornets‘ consistent player on the court this season, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who expects the veteran forward to “have a major influence” on the team beyond this season.

“I know I’m not in charge of all that stuff, but having him back with this team would be very crucial with LaMelo (Ball) and guys getting healthy and Mark (Williams) and those guys getting back,” teammate Grant Williams said. “I think it puts us in a great position. He does a phenomenal job of being a leader. He’s trying to change all this perception around the league and I think he’s done a phenomenal job of that.”

Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after accepting his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent during the summer of 2023. He told the Hornets prior to last month’s trade deadline that he wouldn’t approve a trade, since he wanted to remain in Charlotte and retain his full Bird rights, so the club will be in position to re-sign him this offseason without needing cap room to do so.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Hawks issued a brief update on injured guard Trae Young on Tuesday, as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter). The team said that Young – who hasn’t played since February 23 – is making progress in his recovery from a torn ligament in his finger and will “introduce small finger motion exercises” this week.
The Heat‘s franchise record for the most starting lineups in a season continued to grow on Tuesday, as the team deployed its 35th different group of 2023/24, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. With Jimmy Butler sidelined, a pair of in-season additions – Terry Rozier and Patty Mills – joined Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, and rookie Jaime Jaquez in the starting five.
When the Heat signed Thomas Bryant in free agency last offseason, the plan was for him to be the club’s backup center, but he saw inconsistent minutes during the first half of the season as Kevin Love claimed that role. As Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel, Love’s recent absence has opened the door for Bryant to play more regularly and he has averaged 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game across Miami’s past eight contests. “It’s been a journey,” Bryant said of his first season with the Heat. “For me, I just try to be as available for as many minutes as are out there.”

Southeast Notes: Clifford, Windler, Houstan, Bagley, Vukcevic

March 24th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Clifford has seen a lot of losing since returning to the Hornets‘ sidelines last season, but Saturday’s blowout in Atlanta stood out because of a lack of competitiveness from his team, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte dropped its fourth straight game in the midst of a 17-53 season, and Clifford was upset that his players didn’t fight back after falling behind early.

“As soon as we started subbing, our intensity went downhill and we never really got it back,” he said. “That was just as poor an effort, and just for a team that’s tried all year, we didn’t try very hard. We’re not going to be able to do that. I thought Miles (Bridges) was really good. And in terms of effort, it ended there.”

When Clifford became the Hornets’ coach last season, he inherited a team that was already off to a rough start in its rebuilding process. None of its draft picks from 2021 panned out — including first-rounders Kai Jones and James Bouknight — which creates a difficult situation for a franchise that’s not in position to attract top free agent talent.

“I remember we used to say all the time, ‘It gets late early in the NBA,’” Clifford said. “You bring a guy in who had been in college four years and he doesn’t play well in his first year, those guys would be gone. But you’re crazy to do that now because the guys are so young. Everything used to be, you drafted in performance. Now, you’re drafting by potential and it’s much, much harder. Younger players are not as ready to play, and it makes it harder on coaches, but it makes it much, much harder on management.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Injuries have forced the Hawks to go deep into their bench, notes Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. That included 19 minutes Saturday night for Dylan Windler, who made his home debut after signing a two-way contract earlier this month. “I felt pretty comfortable for the most part,” Windler said. “Obviously, I haven’t had any live extended minutes like that in a while. So, it just feels good to get up and down for a little bit, try to get my legs back. But for the most part it felt comfortable. Just trying to add a little bit of energy to us, add a spark, crash the boards hard and make shots for us.”
Caleb Houstan made a rare start for the Magic on Saturday with Gary Harris unavailable due to a right plantar fascia strain, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. However, the second-year small forward experienced soreness in his left ankle and didn’t play in the second half. Coach Jamahl Mosley said Houstan will be evaluated today.
Wizards big man Marvin Bagley III returned Saturday after missing nearly three weeks with lower back spasms, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. Tristan Vukcevic, who signed with Washington 11 days ago, played three minutes in his NBA debut. “It was amazing, a dream come true,” Vukcevic told Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (video link).

Southeast Notes: Poole, Banchero, Harris, Bridges

March 23rd, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Wizards guard Jordan Poole has been a frequent target of criticism on social media for errors he makes, sometimes edited to make him look worse and sometimes not, but he understands that the platforms amplify outrage, and he doesn’t pay attention to it, writes Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports.

“I get what it’s for, but you can be overwhelmed with that stuff,” he said. “I can’t do anything about it, right? Just live with it. That’s our generation’s challenge.”

That doesn’t mean Poole is ignorant of what some people think about him. It has been a rough adjustment in his first season with Washington, which hasn’t gone as he or anyone else had hoped on the court. Yet Poole’s confidence remains unshaken, Weitzman notes.

“Everything that I’ve done [in my career] has essentially worked,” Poole said of the outside criticism. “So there’s no need to change anything. Just find ways to get a little bit better, wherever I can.”

Martenzie Johnson of Andscape recently published an interesting profile of Poole as well, writing that the 24-year-old’s brash, flashy game stands in stark contrast to what he’s like off the court — an introspective, process-oriented person who’s a diligent worker and very private. Based on how he plays, you’d think Poole enjoys attention, but the opposite is true, according to Johnson.

Poole has been playing better since becoming the primary play-maker off the bench, both authors note, averaging 19.8 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .434/.374/.884 shooting over his past 16 games (29.0 MPG), though he’s recently been starting at point guard in place of the injured Tyus Jones, who will miss his fifth straight game on Saturday with a back injury. Poole is questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Toronto with a right hip contusion, the team announced (via Twitter).

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Magic forward Paolo Banchero had his second career triple-double in Thursday’s victory over New Orleans, and head coach Jamahl Mosley praised the former No. 1 overall pick after the performance, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link). “He reads what the defense is doing, he adjusts as the game is going on and then he finds his time to pick, time to attack,” Mosley said as part of larger quote. “That’s growth of a young man but it’s also what an All-Star does, it’s what great players do.”
Magic guard Gary Harris exited Thursday’s contest with right foot soreness and did not return, per the team (Twitter link). Harris had been questionable for Saturday’s game against Sacramento with a right plantar fascia strain, Beede tweets, but he was ruled out this afternoon, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Harris, who is on expiring $13MM contract, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 29-year-old veteran has been limited to 94 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries.
Forward Miles Bridges missed all of last season after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge. He remains close with his college head coach, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, who believes Bridges has found a good home with the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think it would be good for him,” Izzo said of Bridges potentially re-signing with the Hornets. “That’s what he is — he’s a pretty loyal guy and I don’t think he’s just chasing the money. He’s had a chance to leave already probably, you know? And I talk to him about it. It’s almost refreshing. He’s kind of an old school throwback, young school guy. And if he just gets everything else straightened out, which he will, I think it’s going to be special.” Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason after signing a one-year qualifying offer in 2023.

Hornets Notes: G. Williams, Offense, M. Williams, Ball

March 17th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Grant Williams has been on the receiving end of some media criticism recently in his former NBA markets.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported after Williams was traded from Dallas to Charlotte last month that he had “personality clashes” and “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way” during his half-season with the Mavs, while Celtics commentator Mike Gorman said this week during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub that Williams was “annoying to everybody” during his time in Boston.

Asked by Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer about Gorman’s comments, Williams disputed the characterization.

“I try my best to take the high road on most things. I’ve always tried to treat people with respect,” Williams said. “Gorman was just talking in regard to what he thought he experienced and if you ask any one of my teammates across my career in this league, they’d know that I have not only been a great teammate, but a person they can rely on, a person they could talk to. That’s something that I’ve tried to pride myself on.

“So it’s tough hearing things like that because you never want to have someone attacking your character, especially as a teammate but also as a man. But at the end of the day, you can only focus on what you can control.”

Celtics star Jayson Tatum came to Williams’ defense on Wednesday, tweeting that the former Boston forward was a “great teammate.” Williams said it “meant the world” that Tatum said that about him.

“Honestly, I didn’t even ask him,” Williams told Boone. “So, that’s why it was even cooler and I had to thank him afterward because that’s my dog for life. And all those guys up in Boston are. I talk to those guys more than most in my whole life career. … I know I’ve always tried to treat those guys in Boston with respect, especially the commentating staff. So it surprises me that Gorman said that. But maybe that’s his true opinion.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

The Hornets’ margin for error on offense is much smaller when LaMelo Ball isn’t available, so head coach Steve Clifford has been trying to get his team to follow a specific formula with the star point guard out, Boone writes for The Charlotte Observer. “I know I’m saying the same thing all the time, but it’s offensive pace, offensive force, playing inside-out,” Clifford said. “When the ball hit the paint the other night, our numbers were much better than when it doesn’t. … We just get away from that. We don’t have that kind of team. If Melo is playing, it’s totally different. But with the group we have here, we are capable of playing well but we all have to be playing the same way. And for us, that ball has got to hit the paint before we shoot.”
In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer, Boone explained why he doesn’t expect to see Mark Williams return for the Hornets before the end of the season, laid out why a Ball trade is extremely unlikely, and discussed whether Aleksej Pokusevski has a place in the team’s future, among other topics.
Within that mailbag, Boone was asked whether the Hornets will have their eye on any particular positions in the draft and identified two areas of need: Another three-and-D wing and a P.J. Washington replacement at power forward. While Brandon Miller has shown tremendous upside as a three-and-D player, Cody Martin has been limited by injuries for two seasons and Gordon Hayward is no longer around to play that role.

Southeast Notes: Micic, Wizards, Vukcevic, Jovic, Herro

March 14th, 2024 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets guard Vasilije Micic is one of the more unusual NBA rookies in recent memory. A two-time EuroLeague champion and two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP who also won the regular season MVP for 2020/21, the 30-year-old signed a three-year deal with Oklahoma City last summer.

Despite his excellent international résumé, Micic struggled to crack the Thunder’s deep rotation, and he was sent to Charlotte at the trade deadline. According to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, the Serbian veteran said he’s still trying to find his footing in the NBA.

“I’m still trying to find myself,” said Micic. “It’s a mix of what’s really happening. We have a lot of injured players and it’s something that opened a lot of room for me in terms of minutes. But at the same time I’m at the age of, now, 30 and I’ve kind of shaped my game already. And I’m coming from five years of playing … the same way.

“So, it’s not an easy to adjust to fit in the team that needs more of a creator or passer — whatever it is. And I’m just trying to find the mix to still be aggressive, to still be capable of also scoring. But at the same time playing the right way.”

Micic had the best game of his NBA career in Wednesday’s victory over Memphis, recording 25 points (on 9-of-10 shooting), eight assists and two steals in 30 minutes. He has now scored in double figures in seven straight games, averaging 15.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, 2.9 RPG and 1.3 SPG over that span (31.3 MPG).

Here’s more from the Southeast:

After winning two straight games, the Wizards had a “soft, all-too-often listless performance” on Tuesday against an injury-plagued Memphis team, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Forward Kyle Kuzma, who started at center with Marvin Bagley III (lower back spasm) and Richaun Holmes (left big toe sprain) injured, didn’t mince words after the loss. “We disrespected the game,” Kuzma said. “We disrespected ourselves. … It also just boils down to professionalism and giving a f— a little bit. And tonight, we just didn’t. Anybody (on the Grizzlies) could go score. Anybody could lay the ball in. We were playing selfish on both ends. Just wasn’t good tonight from all of us.”
2023 second-round pick Tristan Vukcevic spent most of this season playing in Europe, but he just signed a two-year contract with the Wizards. A league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) that the 21-year-old big man received $2,424,892 for the remainder of 2023/24 via the mid-level exception, and Washington holds a team option at the same rate for ’24/25. Vukcevic reportedly had a buyout worth seven figures, which explains why his salary is far above the norm for a second-rounder. Dionysis Aravantinos of HoopsHype takes a closer look at the young Serbian’s game and what he could bring to the Wizards.
With Tyler Herro and Kevin Love injured, Heat forward Nikola Jovic has received extended playing time the past few weeks. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether Jovic will stick in the rotation once Miami gets back to full strength. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Wednesday there’s still no return timeline for Herro, who has missed nine consecutive games with a foot injury (Twitter link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press). “He’s doing everything he needs to do,” Spoelstra said.

2024’s Most Valuable Traded Second-Round Picks

March 13th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2024 first round.

However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.

Here are a few of the traded 2024 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:

From: Washington Wizards
To: Utah Jazz
Current projection: No. 31

Technically, the Jazz will receive whichever of the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ second-round picks is most favorable, while the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.

Even at 23-43, Memphis has an 11.5-game lead on the 11-54 Wizards in the standings, so we can safely assume Washington’s pick will be more favorable than the Grizzlies’ second-rounder and will head to Utah.

The Wizards initially traded the most favorable of those two picks to Brooklyn in 2021’s five-team deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie from the Nets to D.C. via sign-and-trade. The Nets later attached the pick to DeAndre Jordan in a salary-dump deal with Detroit. The Pistons, in turn, sent it to Utah at this season’s trade deadline in the Simone Fontecchio swap.

From: Detroit Pistons
To: Toronto Raptors
Current projection: No. 32

The Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick was one of several future second-rounders they gave up for the right to draft Saddiq Bey in 2020. The Clippers acquired it at that time, then sent it to New York a year later in order to move up four spots to No. 21 in the 2021 draft to select Keon Johnson — that was a nice move for the Knicks, who used No. 25 to nab Quentin Grimes.

New York eventually used the Pistons’ pick about two-and-a-half months ago as a sweetener in the OG Anunoby trade with the Raptors. At the time, Detroit had the NBA’s worst record, so the pick was projected to be 31st overall. It may not ultimately land there, but given the Pistons’ 11-53 record, it will still be one of the top selections of the second round.

From: Charlotte Hornets
To: Portland Trail Blazers
Current projection: No. 34

The Hornets probably have no regrets about trading this second-rounder to New Orleans back in 2020 in order to acquire the No. 42 overall pick in that draft, which they used to select Nick Richards — Richards has been Charlotte’s starting center for much of this season, whereas there’s no guarantee that whoever is picked 34th overall this year will still be in the league in four years.

The Pelicans used the pick a few days later during the 2020 offseason as part of a package to acquire Steven Adams from the Thunder. Oklahoma City later flipped it to Denver, giving the Nuggets either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-rounder (whichever is most favorable).

Denver sent that pick to Portland at the 2022 draft in exchange for the No. 46 selection, which was used on Ismael Kamagate, whom the Nuggets ultimately turned into $2.68MM in cash at this season’s deadline.

Technically, the “most favorable” language still applies, but there’s no question that the 16-49 Hornets will have a higher second-round pick than the 45-21 Timberwolves, so Portland will get Charlotte’s pick.

From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Milwaukee Bucks
Current projection: No. 35

While the Trail Blazers are in position to acquire a top-35 pick from Charlotte, they’ll lose their own high second-round pick, which they initially included in a five-player 2020 trade that sent Trevor Ariza from Sacramento to Portland.

Two years later, the Bucks acquired Portland’s 2024 second-rounder from the Kings in a four-team deadline deal that saw Donte DiVincenzo head from Milwaukee to Sacramento. As a result, despite having one of the NBA’s best records this season, the Bucks are poised to control a pair of top-35 picks, since they still own their own first-rounder as well.

From: Memphis Grizzlies
To: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current projection: No. 36

As we noted above when discussing the Wizards’ pick, Utah will receive the most favorable of Washington’s and Memphis’ second-rounders, while Minnesota will acquire the least favorable of the two, which is certain at this point to be the Grizzlies’ selection.

Initially dealt to the Thunder in the 2019 draft so that Memphis could move up from No. 23 to No. 21 to draft Brandon Clarke, the Grizzlies’ 2024 second-rounder bounced around the league after that and was eventually acquired by the Timberwolves from the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline in the three-team deal that sent D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota.

Although the Grizzlies have traded away their own second-rounder, they control Brooklyn’s second-round pick, which may end up just a couple spots lower (it’s currently No. 38).

From: Toronto Raptors
To: Indiana Pacers
Current projection: No. 37

The Raptors originally traded their 2024 second-rounder to the Grizzlies during the 2018/19 season as part of a larger package for center Marc Gasol — it’s safe to say that deal, which helped cement the franchise’s first-ever championship a few months later, was a worthwhile one.

The Clippers eventually acquired the pick from Memphis at the 2023 deadline as part of the return for Luke Kennard, then used it in a package to land James Harden from Philadelphia this past fall.

Some “most favorable” language was attached to the pick in the Harden blockbuster, and that language still applied when the Sixers flipped it to Indiana in the Buddy Hield trade last month. However, the the 23-42 Raptors would have to pass the 37-29 Pacers or the 41-24 Cavaliers for any team besides Indiana to receive this pick, so it’s safe to assume it’ll land with the Pacers.

Southwest Notes: Whitmore, Zion, Williams, Luka, Sochan

March 12th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets rookie wing Cam Whitmore is expected to be out for approximately three weeks with a sprained right knee, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitmore is averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game through 38 NBA appearances this season after the Rockets drafted him late in the first round.

“He has a sprained (lateral collateral ligament), the ligament in the knee and outside the knee,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “So, it’s a three-week timetable as well. Felt some tightness in his knee in the game. Got that checked out. Kind of played through that. We’ll wee how he progresses with rehab and treatment, as well. They say three weeks, but it could be a shorter timetable based on how he reacts to it.”

The Rockets lost star center Alperen Sengun over the weekend due to a severe ankle sprain and bone bruise to his knee.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After injuries marred his first four NBA seasons, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is finishing strong this season, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes. He has appeared in 53 games, averaging 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and a career-high 5.2 assists per night. Getting in better shape has been the key. “I’m getting there,” Williamson said. “Just stacking my days. Extra conditioning over time. I’m starting to see some of those results. I just have to maintain and keep going.”
Before Grant Williams was dealt to the Hornets, he trash-talked Mavericks star Luka Doncic during practice. In a radio interview relayed by Brian Robb of Masslive.com, Dallas assistant GM Michael Finley said it didn’t go well for the power forward. “He decided he wanted to get under Luka’s skin. He felt Luka didn’t come that day ready to practice,” Finley said. “To make a long story short, they had a scrimmage going and he was talking trash to Luka up and down the court. So finally, Luka says ‘Okay,” and Luka went on a 26-6 run by himself. You can ask anybody, I’m not exaggerating. He showed everything, the threes, the postups, the floaters, everything by himself.”
The Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan is developing a reputation as an agitator and he has an admirer in a player who often gets under opponent’s skin — the Warriors’ Draymond Green, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News. “Not caring what anybody thinks, that’s a skill in this league,” Green said. “Jeremy, he don’t give a (bleep). You can tell.”

Jeff Peterson Earns Praise From His Current, Former Players

March 12th, 2024 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Dennis Schröder, who knew Jeff Peterson in Atlanta before reuniting with him briefly in Brooklyn, said the Hornets‘ new head of basketball operations is a “great human being” who is honest, straightforward, and holds people accountable, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Peterson is already making a positive impression on Hornets players, Boone adds. “Yeah, he’s engaged,” Miles Bridges said. “He’s coming to every practice, every game. And just to have a GM who cares and shows up all the time means a lot.”

Hornets To Hire Ryan Gisriel Away From Nets

March 10th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

After hiring Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson as their new head of basketball operations, the Hornets are poised to add another executive from Brooklyn’s front office, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

According to Lewis, Ryan Gisriel is expected to leave his position as the Nets’ executive director of basketball and business operations to take a job in the Hornets’ front office under Peterson. His title in Charlotte isn’t yet known.

Gisriel was hired by Brooklyn as an intern in 2013 and has steadily risen through the organization since then, having held roles such as special projects coordinator, assistant to the GM, and director of basketball administration before being promoted to his current position.

As NetsDaily notes, Gisriel’s most recent title with the Nets reflected his longtime role as a “middleman” between the basketball and business sides of the organization.

Gisriel is the second executive reported to be joining Peterson in Charlotte. The Hornets are also said to be hiring Hawks executive Dotun Akinwale Jr. as an assistant GM.

Steve Clifford Singles Out Miles Bridges As Competitor

March 9th, 2024 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets coach Steve Clifford singled out Miles Bridges for his competitiveness tonight on the second game of a back-to-back (video link from Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer). Bridges has put together a strong bounce-back season after not playing last year and figures to be one of the most intriguing names on the free agent market.