Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Cavs, Ott, Nets, Celtics, Hawks

July 3rd, 2024 at 11:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending the past two seasons as a Lakers assistant, Jordan Ott has agreed to join Kenny Atkinson‘s coaching staff with the Cavaliers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Ott, who previously worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn, interviewed for Charlotte’s head coaching position this spring. According to Wojnarowski, Ott was a finalist in that process before the Hornets ultimately chose Charles Lee.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported that Ott was expected to land in Cleveland as an assistant if the Cavs decided to hire Atkinson.

Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Agents and league executives who have spoken to Brian Lewis of The New York Post don’t expect the Nets to opt for an extended rebuilding process that would see them slowly stockpile draft assets and sacrifice their projected 2025 cap room by taking on unwanted multiyear contracts. According to Lewis, the team is considered more likely to hang onto its biggest expiring contracts – including Ben Simmons‘ – and to pursue roster upgrades a year from now when could have upwards of $80MM in cap space.
Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a wide-ranging look at the Knicks‘ free agent and trade options to add a backup center, suggesting that Precious Achiuwa might be the top free agent candidate to end up in New York, even though he’s not the sort of “conventional” shot blocker and rim protector that head coach Tom Thibodeau would prefer.
In a pair of stories for MassLive.com, Brian Robb examines what the Derrick White contract extension means for the Celtics going forward – from both a roster and cap perspective – and notes that Boston will have a couple holes to fill on its coaching staff after the Hornets announced that former Blaine Mueller and Jermaine Bucknor are joining Charles Lee in Charlotte. Mueller coached the Maine Celtics last season, while Bucknor was a player development coach in Boston. Another Celtics assistant, Sam Cassell, was “heavily targeted” by rival teams seeking an experienced assistant, but appears likely to remain in Boston, Robb adds.
The Hawks are being sued by longtime executive and former team president Robert “Bob” Williams, who has accused the team of breach of contract and claims he’s owed a $660K bonus. Rosie Manins of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details in a subscriber-only story.

Free Agent Rumors: DeRozan, Kings, Spurs, Morris, Bridges, Jones

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on a report from Marc J. Spears stating that Sacramento is a “dark horse” suitor to watch for DeMar DeRozan, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) that the Kings and Bulls have had discussions about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving the free agent forward.

The Spurs have also emerged as a possibility for DeRozan, Jackson adds. The 34-year-old previously spent three seasons playing for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio from 2018-21.

While Jackson (Twitter link) isn’t entirely ruling out the Heat for DeRozan, he notes that the club’s cap situation makes it impossible to give the forward the kind of contract he’s seeking, so the front office seems more likely to preserve its assets in case a better trade opportunity arises — as a first-apron team, Miami would be in a better position to acquire a player who is already under contract than a free agent like DeRozan via sign-and-trade.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

The Sixers have expressed interest in the possibility of a reunion with free agent forward and Philadelphia native Marcus Morris, multiple sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the 76ers aren’t the only team eyeing Morris. The Pistons, Hornets, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Heat, and Timberwolves have all expressed some level of interest too, Pompey writes.
It’s unclear where Miles Bridges will end up, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who says that the Pistons‘ interest seems to have dwindled following their front office and coaching changes, while the Sixers were “never in” on the free agent forward. The Hornets and Bridges publicly expressed interest in a new deal earlier in the offseason, but they’ve had over two weeks to talk and still don’t appear to have momentum toward an agreement. “I think they end up signing and trading Bridges,” a rival executive told Boone.
The Clippers continue to have interest in bringing back Kai Jones, but the free agent big man has an ankle injury that will prevent him from suiting up for Summer League, a source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Pistons are one of the only teams that still has significant cap room available and they’ll need to at least reach the minimum salary floor before the season begins. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) suggests a few potential free agents targets for Detroit, including Malik Beasley and Gary Trent Jr., while James L. Edwards III of The Athletic considers trade scenarios that might make sense for the club’s cap room.

Hornets’ Tidjane Salaun Signs Rookie Contract

July 3rd, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have signed lottery pick Tidjane Salaun to his rookie scale contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Salaun is headed to Charlotte after spending the past two seasons with Cholet Basket in France’s top basketball league (LNB Elite). In 54 games with the team in 2023/24, the 6’9″ forward averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest.

The No. 6 overall pick Salaun was one of three French prospects selected in the top half of the 2024 lottery, joining countrymen Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1) and Alex Sarr (No. 2). He’s also one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class — he won’t turn 19 next until next month.

As our breakdown of rookie scale salaries show, Salaun will earn nearly $7.5MM in 2024/25 and approximately $34MM over the next four years, assuming he signed for the usual 120% of the rookie scale amount and eventually has his third- and fourth-year options exercised.

And-Ones: Porter, Pate, Adams, 2025 Mock, Ownership Changes

July 3rd, 2024 at 8:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Raptors forward Jontay Porter is being charged with a federal felony in connection to the sports betting scandal that caused him to be banned from the NBA in April, according to a report from The Associated Press.

While a specific court date and charges haven’t been specified, the case is known to be related to an existing charge of four men who schemed with a player to cash in on tips from said player (Porter) regarding his plans to exit two games early. The four men appeared in court in June, but haven’t yet entered pleas. They were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the AP.

The NBA’s investigation into Porter found that he tipped off those four men about his health and then exited one game with illness, causing anyone who bet his unders to cash in. He also gambled on games he didn’t play in, including against his own team.

Porter appeared in 26 games with the Raptors last season on a two-way contract. He is not permitted to sign another NBA contract, as per his ban.

We have more from around the basketball world:

With the G League Ignite shut down, projected 2025 first-round pick Dink Pate is signing with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes for next season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Pate became the youngest professional basketball player last season at age 17 — he was not eligible for the 2024 draft because he doesn’t turn 19 until the 2025 calendar year. In 31 games with the Ignite last season, Pate averaged 8.0 points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per contest. The G League formally announced the move in a press release (Twitter link).
Alabama’s men’s basketball program is hiring Pistons assistant coach Brian Adams as an assistant under head coach Nate Oats, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Adams had NBA experience with both the Sixers and Clippers before joining Detroit midway through last season. He’s served as a collegiate assistant at Harvard and Marist as well.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg is ESPN’s top prospect for 2025, but a pair of Rutgers guards aren’t far behind in a mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (ESPN+ link). Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper sit at No. 2 and 3, respectively, in the mock, and are each currently viewed by some teams as the top prospect in the class. Givony and Woo name Pate, Duke’s Tyrese Proctor, South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles and UConn’s Alex Karaban as some of the top returning players to watch.
The NBA has made a change to its ownership rules, according to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov. Ownership groups are no longer allowed to have governors rotate control. The Bucks did this with Marc Lasry and Wes Edens, with Lasry serving as governor until he sold his share with Edens taking over in 2028. The Hornets are doing the same with Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. Those two franchises will be grandfathered in, according to Vorkunov, meaning they aren’t impacted by this rule change.

Kemba Walker Returns To Hornets In Coaching Role

July 3rd, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have officially announced Charles Lee‘s staff for the new head coach’s first season in Charlotte, and the group includes one particularly notable name. According to a press release, former Hornets star Kemba Walker has been hired as a player enhancement coach.

Walker officially announced his retirement as a player on Tuesday and wasted no time transitioning into the next stage of his career. He hinted in Tuesday’s announcement that a new job in the NBA might be coming, writing, “Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye. I’m excited for what’s next.”

The ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Walker became the Hornets’ full-time starting point guard in his second NBA season and maintained that role through the 2018/19 campaign. He earned three All-Star berths and averaged 19.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game across 605 total regular season games during his time in Charlotte before leaving for Boston in a sign-and-trade in 2019.

Lee is a former Celtics assistant, but his time in Boston didn’t overlap with Walker’s.

Most of the rest of Lee’s staff has been previously reported. It includes assistant coaches Lamar Skeeter, Josh Longstaff, Chris Jent, Blaine Mueller, Ryan Frazier, Matt Hill, and Jermaine Bucknor, the Hornets confirmed.

Zach Peterson has been hired as an assistant coach and director of player development, while Zeke Chapman has been named head video coordinator.

Hornets Waive Marques Bolden

July 3rd, 2024 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have waived center Marques Bolden, the team announced today (via Twitter). He had been occupying one of the team’s two-way slots.

An undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Duke, Bolden has bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G League over the past five years. In 2023/24, he began the season on a two-way contract with the Bucks. After being waived by Milwaukee, he signed a 10-day contract with the Hornets, then stayed with Charlotte on a two-year, two-way deal.

Bolden appeared in just 11 games at the NBA level last season, averaging 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per night. In 31 G League games for the Bucks’ and Hornets’ affiliates, the 26-year-old put up 12.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 24.6 MPG with a solid shooting line of .548/.429/.769.

Bolden was listed on the Summer League roster recently announced by the Warriors (Twitter link), so this move had been anticipated. The Hornets now have a pair of open two-way slots, with Leaky Black filling the third.

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Achiuwa, Knicks, Kessler, Vucevic, Sixers

July 2nd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The expectation around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is that the Jazz will only seriously consider trading Lauri Markkanen if they receive a huge offer similar in value to the one Brooklyn got for Mikal Bridges, which included four unprotected first-round picks, an unprotected first-round swap, and one more lightly protected first-rounder.

The decision on Markkanen is viewed as an inflection point for the Jazz, who could accelerate their timeline by trying to find another star to join him in Utah or extend their timeline by moving the star forward and continuing to stockpile assets ahead of a loaded 2025 draft.

In addition to confirming the four teams previously reported to have interest in Markkanen (the Warriors, Spurs, Kings, and Timberwolves), Scotto adds the Pelicans to the list of potential suitors for the star forward. However, he says New Orleans has been reluctant to discuss valuable young role players like Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.

Brandon Ingram, the most obvious trade candidate on the Pelicans’ roster, wouldn’t be a logical target for Utah in a Markkanen trade. New Orleans is including a pair of first-round picks in its deal for Dejounte Murray but could still offer as many as four first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) in a package for a player like Markkanen.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Unrestricted free agent Precious Achiuwa – who is drawing interest from multiple contenders, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv – liked playing in New York and remains open to re-signing with the Knicks, Scotto writes. The Knicks’ search for help at center has also involved making trade calls to the Jazz about Walker Kessler and the Hornets about Nick Richards, according to Scotto, who says rival executives think the Jazz are more willing to listen to inquiries on Kessler than they would’ve been a year ago.
With DeMar DeRozan seemingly on the verge of leaving Chicago, there’s a belief around the league that the Bulls may look to trade Nikola Vucevic and make the roster even younger, league sources tell Scotto.
Providing several Sixers-related updates, Scotto says Philadelphia is expected to either trade or waive Paul Reed and his $7.7MM non-guaranteed contract, has exploratory trade interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and wants to add more shooting and guard depth, with Lester Quinones and Kyle Lowry among the players on its radar. Additionally, second-round pick Adem Bona is expected to get a standard contract and a place on the 76ers’ 15-man roster, Scotto reports.

Kemba Walker Announces Retirement

July 2nd, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Kemba Walker announced today (via Instagram) that he has decided to retire as a professional basketball player.

“I want to start this by thanking God for everything he has given me. Basketball has done more for me than I could’ve ever imagined, and I am super thankful for the amazing journey I’ve had,” Walker said in his announcement. “With that, I’m here to share that I am officially retiring from the game of basketball. This has all been a dream. When I look back, I still can’t believe the things I achieved in my career.

“… Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye,” he added. “I’m excited for what’s next.”

The ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Walker became the Hornets‘ full-time starting point guard in his second NBA season and maintained that role through the 2018/19 campaign, earning three All-Star berths and averaging 19.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game across 605 total regular season games during his time in Charlotte.

Walker left the Hornets for the Celtics during the 2019 offseason and made another All-Star game during his first year in Boston. However, knee issues slowed him down well before the expiration of his four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Celtics. He was traded during the 2021 offseason to the Thunder, who bought him out.

Walker subsequently appeared in 37 games with his hometown Knicks in 2021/22 and nine contests with the Mavericks in ’22/23 before playing for AS Monaco in the EuroLeague in his final professional season in ’23/24.

Walker still holds numerous franchise records in Charlotte. He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with over 12,000 points and has more made three-pointers (1,283) than any other player in team history.

The 34-year-old also won an NCAA title with UConn in 2011 and made an All-NBA third team during his last year as a Hornet in 2019.

Southeast Notes: Valanciunas, Salaun, Simpson, Wagner, Heat

July 1st, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reaching a three-year agreement with 32-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas seems like an odd move for a rebuilding team. So why did the Wizards do it?

As Josh Robbins and William Guillory of The Athletic see it, Valanciunas’ presence will allow second overall draft pick Alex Sarr to develop at a slow and steady pace. Sarr needs to add bulk and muscle to his seven-foot frame and Valanciunas can match up against more physical centers. The veteran can also serve as a role model to the team’s other younger players.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets lottery pick Tidjane Salaun suffered a minor laceration near his knee but is expected to be available for the start of Las Vegas Summer League next week. However, he will unavailable when the team begins mini-camp in Sacramento on Tuesday. Second-round pick KJ Simpson won’t play during either the Sacramento or Las Vegas Summer Leagues as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury suffered during the pre-draft process. He is expected to be fully recovered and available at the start of training camp this fall, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
The Magic have reached an agreement with backup big Goga Bitadze but they’re still interested in re-signing Moritz Wagner, who reciprocates that interest, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Orlando declined its $8MM option on Wagner’s contract prior to free agency.
Other than reaching a two-year agreement with Kevin Love, the Heat haven’t done much in terms of their 15-man roster during the first two days of free agency. It’s a product of the team’s salary-cap crunch, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. They don’t have much to offer to outside free agents and new restrictions in the CBA make it harder to pull off a trade. Miami also doesn’t have much draft capital to facilitate those deals.

Mavericks To Acquire Klay Thompson In Three-Team Sign-And-Trade

July 1st, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Luke Adams

6:49pm: The Warriors will receive a pair of second-round picks from Dallas to complete the Thompson sign-and-trade, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

One of those picks will be the Mavs’ own 2031 second-rounder, Woj adds (via Twitter). The other will be the least favorable of the Sixers’ and Nuggets’ 2025 second-rounders, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. That 2025 pick belonged to the Hornets, so it appears one of the second-rounders Charlotte is sending to Dallas is immediately being rerouted to Golden State.

Combining all of today’s reporting, it sounds like the trade will break down as follows:

Mavericks to acquire Thompson (via sign-and-trade) and a future second-round pick (from Hornets).
Hornets to acquire Green (into cap room).
Warriors to acquire either the Nuggets’ or Sixers’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Hornets) and the Mavericks’ 2031 second-round pick, in addition to generating a trade exception worth about $16MM.

1:34pm: After spending his first 13 NBA seasons with the Warriors, Klay Thompson is reportedly headed to Dallas. Thompson intends to sign a three-year, $50MM contract with the Mavericks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

As Wojnarowski outlines, the plan is for the Mavs to acquire Thompson from Golden State in a three-team sign-and-trade, with swingman Josh Green heading from Dallas to the Hornets in the deal.

The Warriors and Mavericks are still working through the sign-and-trade details, according to reports from Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter links), who both say that the deal isn’t considered done from Golden State’s perspective.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports tweets that there’s a framework in place for a deal sending Green to Charlotte, while Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) also hears that the Hornets are in agreement on their part of the deal.

As Marc Stein tweets, it sounds like Thompson, the Mavs, and the Hornets are all on board, with just the Warriors left to sign off. Golden State doesn’t want to take back salary in the transaction, Stein adds.

Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets will be sending Dallas a pair of second-round picks for Green and that one of those second-rounders may be rerouted to Golden State.

The 11th pick of the 2011 draft, Thompson is one of the most accomplished shooters in league history, ranking sixth all-time in three-pointers made. The 34-year-old, who has knocked down 41.3% of his attempts from long distance over the course of his career, made five All-Star teams and won four championships with the Warriors.

While Thompson has remained an extremely productive rotation player, averaging 17.9 points per game with a .387 3PT% in 77 games (29.7 MPG) this past season, he has lost a step since suffering a torn ACL in 2019 and a torn Achilles in 2020. He was removed from the starting lineup in Golden State this season and his relationship with the franchise appeared to fray leading up to the expiration of his contract, resulting in Saturday’s news that he intended to leave the Warriors for a new team.

Thompson reportedly intended to talk to the Lakers, Clippers, and Sixers in addition to the Mavs when free agency opened on Sunday, with the Magic among the other teams said to have interest in the veteran sharpshooter. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Thompson had four-years offers worth more overall money available, but the opportunity to win another championship and the difference in state taxes were among the factors that made him choose Dallas.

Thompson will give the Mavs another shooter on the wing alongside star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. So far this offseason, the team has essentially swapped out three wings – Tim Hardaway, Derrick Jones, and now Green – for three new ones: Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Grimes.

Assuming the deal is completed as reported, the Mavs’ team salary will be a few million above the tax line and about $3MM below the first apron, which will be their hard cap, per cap experts Bobby Marks of ESPN and Yossi Gozlan (Twitter links).

The Hornets were interested in Green back at the trade deadline when they worked out a separate deal with Dallas involving P.J. Washington, notes Fischer (via Twitter). They’ll get their man now and – based on the details reported so far – figure to operate as an under-the-cap team in order to take the incoming salaries of both Green and Reggie Jackson, whom they’re acquiring in a trade with Denver.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will be in position to create a trade exception worth Thompson’s new salary if they don’t take back any contracts in the deal. With Thompson and Chris Paul off their books for 2024/25, the Dubs have some newfound financial flexibility and appear poised to use their full mid-level exception to sign free agent guard De’Anthony Melton.