Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Waive Kai Jones

October 11th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have waived former first-round pick Kai Jones, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news in a press release.

Jones had been away from the Hornets – with no timetable for a return – for personal reasons. The decision for him not to attend training camp was made after the 22-year-old made a series of unusual social media posts, calling out some of his teammates in a handful of tweets and videos.

The No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Jones averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game across 67 total appearances in his first two professional seasons. He had a much bigger role at the G League level, averaging 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in 38 regular season games with the Greensboro Swarm — Charlotte’s affiliate — from 2021-23.

A 6’11” big man from the Bahamas, Jones publicly requested a trade a couple days ago. The Hornets decided to release him instead, and they will be on the hook for his full $3,047,880 salary for 2023/24 if he goes unclaimed on waivers. Charlotte also declined its fourth-year team option on Jones — worth $4,693,735 — as part of the move.

Charlotte originally acquired Jones’ rights in a draft-night trade with the Knicks. The first-round pick the Hornets sent New York as part of that deal still hasn’t conveyed and will be lottery-protected in 2024 and 2025. If it hasn’t conveyed by then, it will turn into two second-round picks.

As our roster count shows, the Hornets now have 20 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

It’s worth noting that the Hornets have three players — Edmond Sumner (Exhibit 9), Frank Ntilikina ($200K partial guarantee) and JT Thor — on non-guaranteed contracts, not counting their players on Exhibit 10 deals. The odds of all three players making the opening night roster likely increased now that Jones is out of the picture, since Charlotte only has 12 players on guaranteed standard deals.

Hornets’ James Bouknight To Undergo Left Knee Surgery

October 10th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets guard James Bouknight will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday to address a meniscus injury in his left knee, the team announced in a press release.

The third-year guard suffered the injury on Thursday during a training camp practice. Bouknight will be reevaluated in four weeks.

It’s a huge setback for the 2021 lottery pick out of UConn, who has disappointed during his first two NBA seasons. He appeared in just 34 games last season off the bench after seeing action in 31 games as a rookie. He’s averaged 5.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.6 minutes per game during his two-year career.

Bouknight came to camp without a clear role. He’s not guaranteed any money beyond this season. The Hornets must decide this month whether to pick up their $6MM rookie scale option on Bouknight for the 2024/25 campaign.

That seems even more unlikely now that he won’t be available at the start of this season.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bridges, Magic, Hawks

October 9th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets took a major step back in 2022/23, going 27-55 after finishing ’21/22 with a 43-39 record. However, there’s an “unmistakable aura” of optimism surrounding the team entering the ’23/24 season, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“Oh, definitely,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “But I think a big part of it is the veteran players, their attitude and the fact that they came back for all of September. They are in great shape, they’ve shown great leadership.

“I think having Miles (Bridges) back is part of it. I think the older players’ confidence and how Mark Williams and Nick Richards played at the end of last year is part of it. And they have a lot of confidence in Brandon (Miller) already. But, yeah, we are definitely in a good place.”

Here are a few more notes from the Southeast Division:

As part of his suspension following a plea of no contest to felony domestic violence charges, Bridges will be ineligible to compete in preseason games, Boone writes for The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets forward, who missed all of last season while his legal case played out, will be suspended for the first 10 games of ’23/24.
The Magic have plenty of depth at guard, with several players vying for regular playing time. Markelle Fultz, who started all 60 of his games last season at point guard, says the group has had a competitive yet supportive training camp, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “We’re all interchangeable and we can learn from each other,” Fultz said. “The main thing is competing while we’re out there on the floor but also supporting each other while we’re not. When the next guy is in, you cheer them on and learn from their mistakes and what he’s doing well.”
The Hawks and Quin Snyder are still learning from each other in the head coach’s first training camp with the team, but veteran guard Patty Mills says things have gone well so far. The next step is transitioning from practices to preseason games, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “I think that’s where we want to see the carry-over,” Mills said. “You know, we can do it perfectly in practice and at a slower pace, but you get game speed, game action, live looks in a real game and that’s where we want to see the carryover. So I think it comes at a perfect time with how we’re moving forward with a lot of the stuff. So bring on the games and let’s do what we’ve been practicing and doing such a great job of in an actual game.”
In case you missed it, Hornets center Kai Jones has submitted a trade request. Details here.

Hornets’ Kai Jones Requests Trade

October 9th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets big man Kai Jones has submitted a trade request, he announced on social media (Twitter link).

Jones is indefinitely away from the Hornets — with no timetable for a return — due to personal reasons. That announcement came after the 22-year-old made a series of strange social media posts, including calling out some of his teammates.

A former first-round pick (19th overall in 2021), Jones has averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 67 total games with the Hornets (9.1 minutes per night). He has had a much bigger role at the G League level, averaging 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in 38 regular season games with the Greensboro Swarm — Charlotte’s affiliate — from 2021-23.

Jones will earn a guaranteed $3.05MM this season after the Hornets picked up their third-year option on his rookie scale contract last fall. However, based on recent events and his limited role during his first two seasons, it’s looking extremely unlikely that they will pick up his $4.69MM option for 2024/25.

It’s hard to envision any type of trade market materializing for Jones’ services at this point. Charlotte waiving him outright seems more plausible, given his modest contributions and odd behavior.

He also may face a fine from the NBA for making a public trade request.

Injury Notes: Bogdanovic, Achiuwa, Smart, Bouknight, Nembhard

October 7th, 2023 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic has sustained a low-grade right calf strain, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic).

While there’s no indication that Bogdanovic’s availability for the start of the regular season is up in the air, he’ll miss the start of the team’s preseason and will be reevaluated in one week, according to the Pistons.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Addressing Precious Achiuwa‘s left groin strain on Saturday, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic referred to the injury as “minor” and indicated the team is playing it safe with the big man. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, it doesn’t sound like the injury will keep Achiuwa on the shelf for long.
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is dealing with some minor abdominal soreness, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who tweets that the club is being cautious with Smart and that he’s not expected to miss any regular season time as a result of the injury.
Hornets guard James Bouknight has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain, per the team (Twitter link). The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but it’s a discouraging start to the fall for Bouknight, who isn’t a sure thing to have his $6MM rookie scale team option for 2024/25 picked up this month.
Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, who is recovering after having a kidney stone removed, won’t travel with the club on its two-game road trip to open the preseason, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Carter, Sheppard, Bridges

October 7th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Tristan Tucker

When asked to address the Wizards‘ issues in recent seasons, Kyle Kuzma often spoke about how the team wasn’t “playing winning basketball,” writes The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace. Having won a championship in 2021 with the Lakers, Kuzma is now part of an organization that is making winning secondary to building a top-notch organization, according to Wallace.

That’s why it was intriguing to see Kuzma re-up with Washington this offseason. Wallace writes that while money was a factor – he can earn up to $102MM over four years – Kuzma’s communication with the front office and a chance to be a No. 1 on a team were the primary reasons for coming back.

“I’ve said it before: I want to have a chance to lead people and really have a lasting impact on an organization, and this was the best opportunity for me to do that,” Kuzma said.

Jordan Poole quickly moved to try to help convince Kuzma to stay after arriving in a June trade, according to Wallace, who says Poole valued Kuzma and realized the duo could grow together.

“You feel it — the authenticity, the knowledge, the basketball knowledge, his experience,” Poole said. “Being able to have a running mate like that is huge, especially when we have a new group, new front office, new coaches. As long as you think the right way and have the right perspective, everything else will kind of just fall in place.”

Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. feels Kuzma and Poole have “bought in” to the rebuild, according to Wallace. Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season and will embark on his seventh season in the league and third with Washington.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wendell Carter Jr. has had a solid stint with the Magic, but he’s hoping to take things to the next level, as Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel details. Carter is attempting to improve his play-making and shooting in 2023/24, according to Beede, and he’s sometimes been taking over 1,000 shots per day in practice. “His jumper definitely looks cleaner,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. “It looks like he’s shooting it more comfortably; less hesitation and letting it rip. It’s been going in.”
Despite not playing last year after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence in November, Miles Bridges is back with the Hornets and, according to his teammates and coaches, is in game shape, as Roderick Boone writes. “Yeah, it’s been great,” Hornets wing Gordon Hayward said. “Honestly, it’s like he never left, the way he’s fit in just because he knows a lot of the same stuff that we are doing, and he’s going to bring so much versatility to us.“
While former general manager Tommy Sheppard is out of the picture for the Wizards, his philosophies on defense, pace and attention to detail still ring true, as The Athletic’s Josh Robbins lays out. “You get to the end of the season, and if there’s still questions [about how to play defense], if there’s still confusion or anything, then maybe sometimes you either have to simplify or really go back and say, ‘How much accountability [was there] throughout the year to get us to this point?” Sheppard said in April. “Are we still doing some of the same things?” The Wizards are focusing on using this season as a building block for something bigger, but Robbins opines that if Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija and others don’t make individual strides, it will have been a wasted year.

Hornets Notes: Miller, Oubre, Williams, Ball

October 6th, 2023 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets don’t want to ask too much of No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller at the start of his rookie season, and the roster depth at the forward spots puts the club in a good position to avoid putting pressure on him in the early going, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. As Miller notes, with plenty of reliable veterans, he can focus on getting comfortable in his role.

“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence just to come in here and take an open shot on a passed ball from LaMelo Ball or one of our vets out here,” Miller said. “It’s just a confidence thing.”

While Miller may not immediately be a focal point on offense or the player who’s taking on the toughest defensive assignments, he has been a quick study so far in training camp, impressing his Hornets teammates.

“Yeah, I think it’s definitely rare, but his game speaks volumes,” P.J. Washington said. “I’ve been saying this a long time, but he doesn’t do anything (wrong) on the court. I’m very happy the way he’s been working. He’s getting extra shots, he’s doing everything to be successful in this league. And I just can’t wait to see him play.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

In his initial comments to reporters as a 76er this week, former Hornets wing Kelly Oubre appeared to take a shot at his old team, as Boone relays. “Honestly, this team wins every year, right?” Oubre said of the Sixers. “The fan base wants them to win more, but I’ve come from teams where they have no hope. Like, zero hope within the whole city. And this is not that at all. … The organization gives its players the platform to do so with everything around us. So, it’s night and day from what I’ve been to, and I’m going to just take advantage of it, soak it all in, and take it day by day.” Oubre spent the past two seasons with the Hornets.
Second-year big man Mark Williams wasn’t able to play in Summer League or complete his usual offseason workout routine since he spent part of the summer recovering from thumb surgery. Instead, he focused on spending extra time in the weight room, adding roughly 12 pounds without sacrificing speed and lateral movement, Boone writes for The Observer.
Within the same story, Williams said he’s looking forward to picking the brain of Patrick Ewing, the former star center who has rejoined the Hornets as a coaching consultant. “Obviously, what he can do, what he’s done, and then now to have a legend like that here will be great for me,” Williams said. “He obviously played the five, played against a lot of greats. So, to have him here will be really cool.”
LaMelo Ball, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension with the Hornets in July, is embracing his role as a team leader, according to Boone. “(We) see the difference in him from last year and the last couple of years,” veteran guard Terry Rozier said of his teammate.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Hampton, Banchero, Ewing, Hornets

October 4th, 2023 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts in training camp, but they haven’t been inclined to add another veteran to their roster because they want to get a good look at their non-guaranteed camp invitees, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As Jackson outlines, the Heat have a strong track record of finding diamonds in the rough and believe they’ll increase their odds of identifying another potential contributor if they’re focused on giving those young players an opportunity this fall, without another vet “cluttering the equation.”

While the Heat want to give their young players every chance to stand out in camp and the preseason, they also haven’t ruled out the idea of signing a free agent if none of their camp invitees emerges and claims a regular season roster spot. As Jackson observes, the list of unsigned players includes accomplished veterans like Blake Griffin, T.J. Warren, and Terrence Ross, as well as several former members of the Heat, including Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, and Justise Winslow.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

R.J. Hampton was determined to join the Heat this offseason and began working out at Miami’s Kaseya Center alongside Heat players without any guarantee that he would be invited to training camp, according to Jackson. “It was Miami or nothing for me,” Hampton said on Monday. “I’ve been down here, off and on, since the beginning of August. It was almost like [the Heat saying], ‘Come here, do what you do, work hard. We’ll make decisions and talk to your agency and see what happens.'”
After earning Rookie of the Year honors during his first NBA season, Magic forward Paolo Banchero has his sights set higher in year two, as he tells Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Asked by Beede what a successful season would look like, Banchero replied, “A successful season for Paolo Banchero looks like making the playoffs, being an All-Star and winning the in-season tournament.”
Patrick Ewing, an assistant coach in Charlotte from 2013-17, has rejoined the Hornets as a coaching consultant, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). The former star center was out of the NBA for the last several seasons as he coached at Georgetown, but the Hoyas parted ways with him earlier this year.
The 2023/24 season is a make-or-break one for the Hornets, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer, who points out that the new ownership team of Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin didn’t make major changes when they took over the franchise earlier this year, but will likely show less patience if the club spends another year in the lottery.

Southeast Notes: Preview, Kuzma, Poole, Avdija, Magic

October 2nd, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Rory Maher

David Alridge, Eric Nehm and Josh Robbins of The Athletic recently previewed the Southeast Division. Both Aldridge and Robbins think the Wizards overhauling their front office was the most impactful move a Southeast team made this offseason, while Nehm thought the Hornets showing confidence in LaMelo Ball by giving him a max extension was arguably the biggest move.

As for decisions that might backfire, Aldridge questions the Magic selecting Anthony Black sixth overall in June’s draft. He wonders where another point guard will fit into Orlando’s rotation, especially one with a shaky jump shot on a team in need of floor spacing.

Nehm believes the Hawks might regret trading John Collins, as he’s a firm believer in the power forward’s talent and wonders if he was the right player to move. As for Robbins, he thinks the Heat got worse by not making a major trade while losing Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency.

The three writers also chose breakout candidates for the division, with Aldridge selecting Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Nehm picking Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Robbins going for Magic point guard Markelle Fultz.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

How can Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole become All-Stars in 2023/24? Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network explores that topic, writing that the two Wizards will have to increase their scoring averages to 25-plus points per game, lead the team to a winning record at the All-Star break, and improve their statistics in non-scoring categories.
There were rumors during the summer that Wizards forward Deni Avdija was dealing with a hip injury. However, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said Avdija will be a full participant in training camp. “He looks strong,” Unseld said, according to Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I think he had a tremendous summer.”
Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel lists five Magic storylines ahead of training camp. Can reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero improve his scoring efficiency and defense? Will the team attempt more shots and become more accurate from three-point range? Those are two of the questions posed by Beede.

Hornets Notes: Jones, Ball, McGowens, Camp Questions

October 2nd, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets big man Kai Jones is away from the team indefinitely with no timetable for a return following a series of strange social media posts. Charlotte said he’s away for personal reasons.

However, one of his former teammates doesn’t think there’s anything amiss with Jones, according to Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban (Twitter video link).

“Kai has always been like that…People just have never seen the real Kai,” said forward Greg Brown, who played college ball with Jones at Texas. “Kai is really just showing the real Kai right now.”

Brown is currently on an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Mavericks. He said he reached out to Jones, who says “he’s doing great.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

Point guard LaMelo Ball missed 46 games last season due to three left ankle sprains and a broken right ankle, which required surgery. At Monday’s Media Day, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer asked the 22-year-old if he planned to wear ankle braces in 2023/24, and Ball said yes. An All-Star in ’21/22, Ball signed a rookie scale max extension with the Hornets this offseason which will begin in ’24/25.
According to Boone (Twitter link), second-year wing Bryce McGowens will be a limited participant in training camp, which starts Tuesday, after rolling his ankle last week during a workout. McGowens will earn a guaranteed $1.72MM this season after being promoted to a standard contract from a two-way deal in February. His salaries for ’24/25 and ’25/26 are non-guaranteed.
In an article for The Charlotte Observer, Boone poses five questions the Hornets need to answer entering training camp, including if Ball can stay healthy, how No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller fits into the equation, and the health status of wing Cody Martin, who only played seven games last season due to a knee injury.