Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: Hornets’ Offseason

August 20th, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets had a 27-55 record last season, 16 fewer victories than the previous season, but they’ve been relatively quiet this summer.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of Charlotte this offseason was Michael Jordan’s decision to sell his majority stake in the team. The roster looks much like it did at the end of last year.

The most significant developments were signing LaMelo Ball to a five-year max extension and getting the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Hornets used the No. 2 selection on Brandon Miller, who will likely jump right into the starting lineup at one of the forward spots.

Miles Bridges, who missed all of last season due to legal issues, accepted his qualifying offer as he tries to rebuild his value en route to becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Bridges and Miller could form the starting forward duo, though Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington may have something to say about that. Shoulder, hamstring and ankle injuries limited Hayward to 50 games last season but he started every game he was in uniform.

Washington remains a restricted free agent, though it appears the most likely outcome is that he also accepts his qualifying offer or works out a new deal with the Hornets.

Terry Rozier and Cody Martin — limited to seven games last season due to knee issues — are 1-2 on the depth chart at shooting guard, though Bridges could see some time there. Everything revolves around Ball and the Hornets will be much more dangerous if he can stay on the court. The star point guard was limited to 36 games last season. Nick Smith Jr, the team’s other first-round pick, could emerge as his backup.

That leads us to today’s topic: What do you think of the Hornets’ offseason? With the return of Bridges and the addition of No. 2 overall pick Miller, are they a playoff team this upcoming season? Or are they destined for another trip to the lottery?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Hornets, Tre Scott Agree To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 17th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets are signing free agent forward Tre Scott to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Scott, who went undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020, signed with French club Fos Provence Basket last summer. However, after he struggled to find success overseas, averaging modest totals of 7.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG on a poor .381/.169/.784 shooting line in 21 LNB Pro A games (20.1 MPG), the 26-year-old returned stateside and finished out 2022/23 with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate.

The 6’8″ forward played much better with the Swarm, averaging 17.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 2.8 APG on .538/.340/1.000 shooting in 10 regular season games (34.5 MPG). Scott spent most of his first two professional seasons in the NBAGL, playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, and the Cleveland Charge.

Scott also made a brief NBA appearance with the Cavaliers during the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2021. He signed a 10-day hardship contract and got in two games, scoring six points and grabbing a couple rebounds in 11 total minutes of action.

The most likely outcome is that Scott will be waived by the Hornets before the 2023/24 season begins. In that scenario, he could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Swarm.

The Hornets have a lot of roster uncertainty at the moment. While they only have 12 players on guaranteed standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, they also have three players on non-guaranteed deals (JT Thor, Kobi Simmons, and Frank Ntilikina), an unsigned draft pick (James Nnaji) and a pair of restricted free agents (P.J. Washington, Theo Maledon) who have yet to sign new contracts.

And-Ones: Washington, Available FAs, Player Tiers, CBA

August 15th, 2023 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

Exploring possible destinations for some of the top remaining free agents, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests that many people around the league think that P.J. Washington – the only standard restricted free agent still on the board – will eventually accept his qualifying offer from the Hornets. Pincus also confirms that the Lakers have conveyed interest in big man Christian Wood.

In considering a potential landing spot for Kelly Oubre, who averaged more than 20 points per game last season, Pincus notes that Memphis makes some sense. While it’s not clear if the Grizzlies have actually expressed interest in Oubre, Pincus points out that they haven’t really replaced Dillon Brooks at forward and have some young players – such as Ziaire Williams or Josh Christopher – who might appeal to the Hornets in a sign-and-trade scenario.

Here are a few more odds and ends from the league:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic has published the first two installments of his player tier rankings for the 2023/24 season. Breaking down the top 125 players of the league into five tiers, Partnow lists 45 players in tier five – including Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes – and 41 more in tier four, such as Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Partnow’s top three tiers will consist of 39 players and will presumably be posted later this week.
Now that hoarding cap room into the regular season is no longer a viable strategy, Rob Mahoney of The Ringer wonders how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will change the way that rebuilding teams approach future offseasons.
With no sign that the Damian Lillard or James Harden situations will be resolved anytime soon, John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether the NBA’s player empowerment era has reached its ceiling. During the last several years, stars who ask for trades have sought increasingly specific destinations despite having less and less leverage, Hollinger observes, adding that the outcomes for Lillard and Harden could create new benchmarks for future star trade requests.

Bailey Benefited From Summer League

August 14th, 2023 at 10:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Second-round pick Amari Bailey averaged 9.3 points in 16.1 minutes per game in Summer League and the Hornets rookie found the experience very beneficial, he told Sarah Efress of The Charlotte Observer.

“It was just an amazing experience, being able to spend time with some of the guys on the team and the coaches as well. I feel like we have a great family dynamic around the whole organization,” Bailey said. “Given us being somewhat of a younger team, I feel like I can come in and just work right with everyone else. I feel like we’re very hungry, so there’s a lot to look forward to here.” Bailey signed a two-way contract with the Hornets last month.

Only One Standard Restricted Free Agent Remains Unsigned

August 14th, 2023 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Entering 2023 free agency, there were 12 restricted free agents on standard contracts. Of that group, 11 have signed new deals, which means Hornets forward P.J. Washington is the lone standard RFA left on the market.

As our free agent tracker shows, Miles Bridges, Ayo Dosunmu, Rui Hachimura, Cameron Johnson, Tre Jones, Herbert Jones, Austin Reaves, Paul Reed, Matisse Thybulle and Coby White have all returned to the teams that held their rights of first refusal. Only Grant Williams found a new club, joining the Mavericks via a three-team sign-and-trade with Boston and San Antonio.

That doesn’t mean other players in that group weren’t interested in finding new homes in free agency. Thybulle and Reed signed offer sheets with the Mavs and Jazz, respectively, that the Trail Blazers and Sixers decided to match.

Bridges’ representatives reportedly weren’t thrilled with his lack of negotiating leverage in talks with the Hornets, as he was the only standard RFA to sign his $7.9MM qualifying offer, which means he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Bridges was ineligible for a sign-and-trade after missing all of last season following domestic violence charges.

Washington is reportedly at an impasse in contract negotiations with Charlotte, and only the Cavaliers have been linked as a potential sign-and-trade suitor for the former 12th overall pick. Still, Cleveland is limited in its ability to make a lucrative offer for Washington due to its proximity to the luxury tax, and the Cavs also don’t have many desirable draft assets, so the Hornets might balk at that idea.

Washington, who turns 25 next week, is reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $18-20MM annually. A month ago, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that Charlotte had yet to offer Washington a contract that matched or exceeded the rookie scale extension Isaiah Stewart signed with Detroit — $15MM in guaranteed money per year (up to $16MM annually with incentives).

Perhaps Washington will eventually take the same route as Bridges by signing his $8.5MM qualifying offer to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. That scenario would be less than ideal for Charlotte, as the team could potentially lose both of its former lottery picks for nothing in 2024.

In addition to Washington, there are also four two-way restricted free agents who remain unsigned: Trent Forrest (Hawks), Theo Maledon (Hornets), Matt Ryan (Timberwolves) and Terry Taylor (Bulls). Jamal Cain accepted his two-way qualifying offer from the Heat on Friday, taking him off the market.

Central Notes: Rubio, Washington, Cunningham, Thompson

August 14th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ricky Rubio‘s decision to take time away from basketball and focus on his mental health leaves the Cavaliers with an uncertain situation at backup point guard, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a mailbag column. Rubio didn’t offer any indication of how long he might be inactive, so there’s no way of knowing if he’ll be available when training camp opens in seven weeks or when the season starts in late October.

There’s no urgency for Cleveland to make a roster move, Fedor adds. The Cavs signed free agent Ty Jerome in the belief that he can handle a larger role than he had with Golden State, and Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and two-way player Craig Porter Jr. are all capable of running the offense for short stretches. Fedor points out that there aren’t any strong options remaining in free agency, but Kendrick Nunn, Michael Carter-Williams, George Hill, Ish Smith, and D.J. Augustin are among the players still available.

General manager Mike Gansey scheduled a trip to Malaga, Spain, this summer to visit with Rubio and watch the Spanish World Cup team in action, according to Fedor. However, Rubio left training camp before Gansey arrived, so he devoted the trip to scouting instead.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in P.J. Washington and may be “lurking” as his standoff with the Hornets continues, Fedor adds. He notes that Cleveland was able to take advantage of a similar situation in a sign-and-trade with Lauri Markkanen two years ago by offering a contract beyond what the Bulls were willing to pay. Fedor states that Rubio and Dean Wade would be enough to match salary if Washington would accept about $15MM per year, but he’s not sure if that and a few second-round picks would satisfy Charlotte.
Cade Cunningham is the only untouchable player on the Pistons‘ roster, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes in his annual evaluation of the team’s most valuable assets. Even though he missed most of last season after shin surgery, Cunningham is still viewed around the league as a potential superstar, according to Edwards. Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and rookie Ausar Thompson follow Cunningham on Edwards’ list.
Overtime Elite general manager Gerald Wilkins believes Thompson has a bright NBA future, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Wilkins offered a glowing recommendation to Jarrett Jack, a new member of the Pistons‘ coaching staff under Monty Williams. “He would ask me things like what are his strengths, what are his weaknesses, how can I get him the ball,” Wilkins said. “I would just tell him, ‘Just put him on the floor. Just put him in the game. They are basketball players, Ausar and Amen. They’re basketball players. You put him on the floor and a lot of good things are going to happen.’”

World Cup Notes: Doncic, Brunson, Ntilikina, Kerr

August 12th, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

Luka Doncic isn’t playing for the Slovenian national team when they take on the United States in tonight’s showcase game, the club announced (Twitter link). Doncic isn’t playing for precautionary reasons after suffering a blow to his left knee in the second quarter of a game against Spain on Friday.

Doncic’s injury likely isn’t serious, given that he completed the second half of the game in which he suffered the injury, finishing with 17 points in about 25 minutes. Still, it’s a disappointing result for Doncic, his team and even USA Basketball. Jalen Brunson, who is on the USA’s World Cup roster and played with Doncic from 2018 to 2022 on the Mavericks, was looking forward to squaring off against his former teammate.

“That’s my brother,” Brunson said of Doncic, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “We got drafted together. I’ve been watching him grow since meeting him for the first time, seeing the player he is now. He’s gotten better and better each year to the point where he’s a top-five player, an MVP candidate, year in and year out, so whenever I get a chance to share the court with him, either with him or against him, it’s always been special. I’ve got nothing but love for him.”

The exhibition game between Slovenia and the United States tips off today at 3:30 p.m. EST. Former NBA players Zoran Dragic and Mike Tobey are among the Slovenian players who will take the floor against the United States.

There are other notes from the World Cup:

New Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina will miss the 2023 FIBA World Cup after suffering an injury in a friendly between France and Lithuania, Eurohoops reports. Ntilikina injured his hamstring and no timetable was given for his return to play. Ntilikina signed a one-year contract with the Hornets earlier this month.
Thirty-seven years ago, Steve Kerr was a player for the 1986 USA Basketball World Championship Team, the precursor to the modern World Cup. Kerr’s team played in Malaga, Spain, where the USA is scheduled to play over the coming days. In another piece from Vardon, Kerr reminisces over the time he spent as a player in Malaga and said he wants the Team USA players he’s now coaching to take this experience all in. “Part of this experience has to be the cultural part of it,” Kerr said. “We’re getting to travel the world and see places we may never see again. So, you know, we are going to encourage our guys to get out. A lot of them have family in. Most of them went out to dinner with their families and friends last night. Yeah. We encourage that. It’s a great time to see the city of Malaga, but also prepare for a couple of important games.”
In case you missed it, Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be playing in this year’s World Cup because he’s still recovering from a minor knee surgery.

And-Ones: Wembanyama, Hall Of Fame, Cap Room, Prospects, Europe

August 10th, 2023 at 9:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Victor Wembanyama‘s first NBA game takes place on Oct. 25, one day after opening day, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs play the Mavericks on the second day of the regular season, pitting Wembanyama against Dallas star Luka Doncic.

The Spurs’ offseason revolved around developing their young corps, featuring players like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, along with taking in big contracts in exchange for draft capital. Meanwhile, the Mavericks made several moves in free agency and in the draft to help them rebound from a lackluster 2022/23.

Stein also tweets that the full ’23/24 schedule release is expected next week. Shams Charania reported the NBA’s opening day lineup and the slate of Christmas Day games earlier today.

Here are more notes from around the basketball world:

With the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 induction taking place this weekend, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov explored candidacies of several players for the Hall. Vorkunov evaluates DeMar DeRozan, Paul George and Kyrie Irving‘s respective cases. Even though he lists all as “near locks,” DeRozan and Irving could be on the cusp. In total, Vorkunov lists 41 players, breaking them into tiers for their likelihood of reaching the Hall. Vorkunov predicts some are obvious locks to be named, like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while others like Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin, might not make it. Vorkunov also discusses players who are on track to be named to the Hall, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo, and breaks down why Derrick Rose will be the only MVP to not make the Hall of Fame. I recommend reading the article in full, some picks may surprise you.
Spotrac contributor Keith Smith made his first pass at 2024 cap space projections (Twitter link). Smith lists seven teams that are projected to have over $20MM in cap to work with. The Spurs lead the way with projected 2024 cap space, sitting at $55.3MM, according to Smith, while the Magic are close behind with $51.3MM to spend. The Jazz, Hornets, Pistons, Sixers and Wizards round out the top seven. Pascal Siakam, LeBron James (player option), James Harden and DeMar DeRozan are among the players who could be available next free agency.
The FIBA U18 European Championship took place from July 22-30. The event is a great tool to evaluate future NBA prospects, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who says that more than four first-round picks per year participated in the event between 2011-21. Givony lists his top 10 prospects from the event (subscription required). UCLA-bound Aday Mara, Mohamed Diawara and Mario Saint-Supery are among the players who crack Givony’s top 10. Givony lists 17-year-old Hugo Gonzalez as his pick for best player at the tournament, as he impressed with his blend of size, frame, shot creation and feel.
Players like Kemba Walker, Willy Hernangomez and Raul Neto are among those who made the move to play in Europe next season. In recent years, we’ve seen players like Nikola Mirotic depart the NBA in the middle of their primes in order to pursue opportunities in Europe. Jabari Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, recently signed overseas and is one of the highest-selected draft picks to do so. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (subscriber link) explores why players are making such moves overseas and why European basketball might be an appealing alternative to the NBA or other overseas leagues for players.

Five Two-Way Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned

August 10th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

As of July 18, there were 12 two-way restricted free agents who had yet to sign new contracts.

Over the past three-plus weeks, six of those players — Lester Quinones (Warriors), Kendall Brown (Pacers), Trevor Keels (Knicks), Duane Washington (Knicks), Dominick Barlow (Spurs) and Ron Harper Jr. (Raptors) — returned to their clubs on two-way deals.

Keels and Washington were subsequently waived to create roster space for Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler, respectively. Washington re-signed with New York on a training camp contract, while Keels is an NBA free agent (the Knicks retained his G League rights).

A seventh player — Jeff Dowtin — returned to Toronto on a one-year, minimum-salary contract that is fully non-guaranteed. He would receive $900K if he’s not waived on or before October 21, but may face an uphill battle to claim a roster spot, as the Raptors now have 15 players with guaranteed deals on their roster.

That leaves a total of five two-way restricted free agents available, as our up-to-date list shows. Those players are as follows:

Trent Forrest, G, Hawks
Theo Maledon, G, Hornets
Jamal Cain, F, Heat
Matt Ryan, F, Timberwolves
Terry Taylor, F, Bulls

Of the five-player group, Maledon had the largest role last season. The 34th pick of the 2020 draft appeared in 44 games for Charlotte in 2022/23, averaging 6.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

If they’re willing to accept their one-year, two-way qualifying offers, four of these five players seemingly have an easy path back to the teams that hold their rights — the Hawks, Hornets, Heat and Wolves all have an open two-way slot available.

That is not true for the Bulls, however — all three of their two-way slots are filled. If Taylor accepts his QO, Chicago might just release him, similar to what happened with Washington and Keels.

Some two-way RFAs have managed to earn standard contracts this offseason. Cain has reportedly been discussing that possibility with rival teams, but Miami has been reluctant to give him a standard deal.

It will be interesting to see if any of the five players are able to land a standard contract instead of another two-way deal. However, being RFAs hurts their leverage to negotiate with rival teams, and offer sheets for two-way restricted free agents essentially never happen.

Contract Details: Watford, Ntilikina, Boum

August 8th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

Trendon Watford‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nets is non-guaranteed for the time being, but the third-year forward could earn partial guarantees if he makes the opening night roster and holds his spot on the team for at least a couple months.

Watford will receive a partial guarantee of $200K if he isn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season in October, Hoops Rumors has learned. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he remains under contract through December 19.

Watford’s full $2.02MM salary would become guaranteed if he isn’t cut on or before January 7. That’s the date that all players on non-guaranteed contracts must be waived by if their teams want to avoid paying their full salaries.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts:

The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Frank Ntilikina signed with the Hornets is partially guaranteed for $200K, Hoops Rumors has learned. Ntilikina would have to remain under contract through the league-wide salary guarantee deadline of January 7 in order to earn his full $2.53MM salary.
Souley Boum‘s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets includes Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Boum would receive a bonus worth $75K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then spends at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate.
In case you missed it, Anthony Davis‘ three-year, maximum-salary contract with the Lakers includes a third-year player option for the 2027/28 season, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Sunday when the deal was officially finalized.