Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks’ Alston, Hornets’ Battle Among Wednesday Cuts

September 25th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bucks waived forward Philip Alston on Wednesday, according to the NBA’s transaction log. Alston had been signed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

The 6’6″ forward went undrafted this year after two seasons at Loyola Chicago. In his junior and senior seasons, he averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from the field. If he reports to the Bucks’ G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd and spends at least 60 days with the club, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

By waiving Alston, the Bucks dip to 20 players on their training camp roster, one below the limit. They also have Liam Robbins and James Akinjo signed to Exhibit 10 deals and it seems likely that they’ll continue churning through players as they prepare their NBA and G League rosters ahead of the season.

There were two more cuts from Wednesday:

The Hornets waived West Virginia product Raequan Battle, according to the log. Battle’s reported agreement from August must have been officially finalized shortly before he was cut. The Hornets now have 19 players on their offseason roster and another reported agreement with Harry Giles. In addition to three Exhibit 10 players already signed — Caleb McConnell, Marcus Garrett and Keyontae Johnson — the Hornets have a two-way contract opening and a vacant spot on their projected 15-man roster. Battle is now primed to suit up for the Greensboro Swarm if he so chooses. He averaged 16.1 PPG in his final collegiate season.
After signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal this morning, the Kings are waiving Justin Powell. The Kings are back down to 19 players on their offseason roster, with a pending agreement with Skal Labissiere that has yet to be finalized. They also waived Dexter Dennis earlier today. The Kings now have two players on Exhibit 10 deals: Boogie Ellis and Terry Taylor.

Hornets’ Soriano, Pelicans’ Robinson, Two Cavs Among Tuesday’s Cuts

September 24th, 2024 at 7:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets have waived Joel Soriano, according to the NBA.com official transaction log. Soriano was on an Exhibit 10 contract, which he signed earlier this month.

A 6’10” center, Soriano went undrafted in June after finishing his college career at St. John’s. The big man averaged a double-double (14.5 points, 10.7 rebounds) in 66 games during his final two college seasons while also chipping in 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per contest.

Soriano could receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K after he clears waivers, then spends at least 60 days with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.

Here are a few more of the latest cuts from around the league:

After announcing earlier today that they’ve signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Pelicans have already waived Galen Robinson Jr., per NBA.com’s transaction log. The Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate, holds Robinson’s returning rights, so the quick sign-and-waive transaction was simply designed to get him an Exhibit 10 bonus (worth up to $77.5K) on top of his standard G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the Squadron this season.
Shortly after signing them to Exhibit 10 contracts, the Cavaliers have waived Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Gabe Osabuohien, according to the transaction log at NBA.com. The cuts had been expected, since today’s reporting indicated that Cleveland had agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with six players but only had room to bring four of them to training camp. Tomlin and Osabuohien figure to open the season with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Southeast Division

September 24th, 2024 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southeast Division. Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kobe Bufkin, Clint Capela, Dyson Daniels, Mouhamed Gueye, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Vit Krejci, Garrison Mathews, Larry Nance Jr., Onyeka Okongwu, Zaccharie Risacher, David Roddy, Trae Young, Cody Zeller
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Kevon Harris
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Dominick Barlow, Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace
Unsigned draft picks: 1
- Nikola Djurisic

There are some non-essential pieces on the Hawks‘ 15-man roster — Zeller was acquired via sign-and-trade as a necessary salary-matching piece in the Dejounte Murray deal, while Atlanta traded for Roddy because Phoenix wanted to get off his salary. Still, waiving either of them (or anyone else) in order to sign a new minimum-salary player doesn’t make sense for the Hawks, since doing so would push their team salary into tax territory.

More Exhibit 10 signees are likely coming in order to help fill out the College Park Skyhawks’ roster, but the biggest question here is what happens with Djurisic, the second-round pick who is coming off a foot surgery that will sideline him well into the fall.

Djurisic had been playing in Serbia, so there has been speculation that he’ll remain overseas as a draft-and-stash prospect. However, Nebojsa Covic – the president of Crvena Zvezda, one team linked to Djurisic – denied that his club has any plans to add him, noting that the 20-year-old is “in America.”

My best guess is that the Hawks plan to have Djurisic start the season with their G League affiliate and will consider promoting him to the 18-man roster (either on a standard or two-way contract) later in the season, once he’s fully recovered.

Charlotte Hornets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Seth Curry, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, Brandon Miller, Nick Richards, Tidjane Salaun, Nick Smith Jr., Grant Williams, Mark Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Taj Gibson (partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Marcus Garrett, Keyontae Johnson, Caleb McConnell, Joel Soriano
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Moussa Diabate, KJ Simpson
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Raequan Battle (Exhibit 10), Harry Giles (Exhibit 10?)

It seems safe to assume Gibson will make the Hornets‘ opening night roster, but that still leaves an open spot on the projected 15-man standard roster. Charlotte doesn’t need to fill that spot, but the club’s salary is so far below the luxury tax line that it would make sense to add a 15th man on a non-guaranteed deal.

There are plenty of free agents still available who would be fits in Charlotte. Some of the team’s camp invitees could be in the mix for that spot too, though they may also be battling for the final two-way slot alongside Diabate and Simpson.

Of the current Exhibit 10 players on the roster and those who have been reported, only Giles has too many years of NBA service to qualify for a two-way deal, so he’s a possible candidate for the standard roster.

Miami Heat

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Bam Adebayo, Thomas Bryant, Alec Burks, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Kevin Love, Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, Kel’el Ware
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Zyon Pullin, Isaiah Stevens
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Josh Christopher, Keshad Johnson, Dru Smith
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Nassir Little

Reports throughout the offseason have indicated that the Heat aren’t interested in carrying a full 15-man roster into the regular season since doing so would push their team salary above the second tax apron. So it came as a bit of a surprise on Monday when word broke that the team had agreed to a deal with Little.

Moving slightly above the second apron isn’t that big a deal though — based on reports out of Miami, it sounds like Little’s contract will be either non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed, allowing them to waive him in a month or two (or even earlier) and duck back below the second apron if they so choose.

Plus, while teams above the second apron aren’t permitted to aggregate salaries in a trade, the Heat would still be able to do so if they’re below the second apron upon completion of the deal. So if they were operating above the second apron by $1MM and made a trade in which they aggregated three contracts in order to take back two while shedding $3MM in salary, that’d be permitted.

While the 15th spot is the bigger story to watch here, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the two-way slots. The Heat already made one change to those spots this offseason when they waived Pullin in order to sign Christopher. Stevens and Pullin (who is back on an Exhibit 10 contract) could make cases to be converted to two-way deals with strong performances in camp and the preseason.

Orlando Magic

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Cole Anthony, Paolo Banchero, Goga Bitadze, Anthony Black, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wendell Carter, Tristan Da Silva, Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, Jonathan Isaac, Cory Joseph, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 5
- Jarrett Culver, Mac McClung, Jalen Slawson, Javonte Smart, Ethan Thompson
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Trevelin Queen
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Robert Baker (Exhibit 10)

The Magic‘s 15 players on standard contracts look set, but with only one two-way slot filled so far, they could put the other two spots up for grabs in a camp competition.

McClung is reportedly viewed as a good candidate to claim one of those two-way deals. Of the current camp invitees, only Culver – who has four years of NBA service – is ineligible to be converted to a two-way contract.

Washington Wizards

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Marvin Bagley III, Patrick Baldwin, Saddiq Bey, Malcolm Brogdon, Carlton Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Johnny Davis, Kyshawn George, Anthony Gill, Richaun Holmes, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, Alex Sarr, Jonas Valanciunas
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jared Butler
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Justin Champagnie, Tristan Vukcevic
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 3
- Leaky Black (Exhibit 10), Kira Lewis (Exhibit 10), Jaylen Nowell (Exhibit 10)

Butler appeared in 40 games for the Wizards last season, but the only way he’ll be part of this year’s opening night roster is if the team trades or waives a player on a guaranteed contract. That’s not out of the question — Baldwin is probably the player whose roster spot would be most in jeopardy, since the former first-round pick has yet to establish himself as a reliable rotation player and didn’t look great in Summer League.

Interestingly, Lewis and Nowell agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Washington despite being ineligible for two-way deals, so they’ve either resigned themselves to joining the Capital City Go-Go or were promised a shot to compete for a standard roster spot.

Black could be in the mix for the open two-way slot here. Butler would also be two-way eligible, but he’d have to be waived and re-signed. The Wizards could also look outside the organization to fill that spot, perhaps targeting a player from another roster who’s cut during or after the preseason.

Previously:

Hornets Notes: Simpson, Diabate, Green, Salaun

September 21st, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets will have a few roster questions to work out in training camp, but it appears two-way players KJ Simpson and Moussa Diabate are already destined to start the season in the G League. General manager Jeff Peterson addressed that topic at a recent press conference to announce the hiring of DJ Bakker as head coach of the Greensboro Swarm, according to Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated.

“With KJ and Moussa specifically, safe assumption they’ll spend some time with Greensboro, and they’re excited about it,” Peterson said. “Every player that we bring into this organization, they just want to play, they want to compete, they want to get better. They want to maximize themselves and they know that at any time, this may be the best vehicle for them to do that. Really excited about their option to come to Greensboro and play and get better.”

Simpson, a 22-year-old point guard who played collegiately at Colorado, was taken with the 42nd pick in this year’s draft. Diabate, a 22-year-old center/power forward, has appeared in 33 games with the Clippers over the past two seasons. Charlotte’s other two-way slot remains open heading into camp.

There’s more on the Hornets:

Offseason addition Josh Green will likely be the choice to start alongside LaMelo Ball in the backcourt, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes in a mailbag column. Boone notes that Green, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in a six-team trade in July, brings flexibility to the lineup and can match up defensively with the opponent’s best guard, helping Ball stay out of foul trouble.
Tidjane Salaun was impressive during his brief Summer League appearance, but the 18-year-old will probably need time to develop into a rotation player, Boone states in the same piece. He suggests Salaun may see minutes initially as a defensive specialist before working his way into the rotation.
New head coach Charles Lee will have several decisions to make in camp, Boone adds. Along with Green, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller and Vasilije Micic are all competing for time in the backcourt, and the team doesn’t have a traditional power forward to back up Miles Bridges. That role will likely go to Grant Williams if other options don’t develop during the preseason.

And-Ones: Sports Betting, NBA Offseason, Injury Returns

September 21st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA is in favor of federal regulations for sports betting, the league doesn’t unequivocally support the bill introduced last week in Congress, which is considered to have both positives and negatives, per David Purdum of ESPN.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, also known as the “SAFE Bet Act,” would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (and during live sports broadcasts) and would ban in-game betting. The proposal to eliminate live wagering is one aspect of the bill likely to be opposed by the NBA and other sports leagues, given the increasing popularity of that form of betting, notes Purdum.

A league source tells Purdum that the NBA is keeping an eye on the legislation and views it as a “starting point to a very lengthy process.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the

In a pair of articles for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus finds one word to describe each team’s offseason (including “inactive” for the Lakers, “attrition” for the Nuggets, and “limbo” for the Timberwolves) and outlines a hypothetical three-team trade that he believes could work for the Magic, Pacers, and Nets. Pincus’ proposed three-team deal sends Dorian Finney-Smith and Isaiah Jackson to Orlando, Wendell Carter to Indiana, and Jarace Walker and Caleb Houstan to Brooklyn.
It was a relatively drama-free NBA offseason, according to Zach Kram of The Ringer, who observes that most of the biggest trades, including ones involving Mikal Bridges and Dejounte Murray, were agreed to in June and nearly all of the biggest free agent decisions (such as Paul George‘s and Klay Thompson‘s) were made within the first 24 hours of free agency opening. Last offseason, by comparison, trade candidates like Damian Lillard and James Harden remained on the market all summer.
Knicks forward Julius Randle (shoulder), Bulls guard Zach LaVine (foot), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee), and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) are a few of the key players returning from injuries who will be worth monitoring this fall to see if they’re back to 100%, according to ESPN’s Chris Herring, Jamal Collier, and Ohm Youngmisuk, who also single out several more returning players to watch.

Offseason Observations: Exhibit 10 Terms, Okoro, Current FAs, Stretch Provision

September 20th, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With the start of most NBA training camps just 11 days away (and even sooner than that for the Celtics and Nuggets), the 2024 offseason is nearing its end.

Before we put a bow on the summer of 2024, we have one more installment of our "Offseason Observations" to share today, following up on similar articles published in July and August.

Here are some of the under-the-radar cap- and CBA-related stories I'm keeping an eye on as teams around the league prepare for their media days and training camps.

The disparity between Exhibit 10 bonuses

As we've written many teams in recent weeks, when a player signs an Exhibit 10 contract with an NBA team, is waived before the regular season begins, and then spends at least 60 days with his club's G League affiliate, he's eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

We always clarify that those bonuses can be worth "up to" $77.5K because that's the maximum possible Exhibit 10 bonus in 2024/25 (up from $75K a year ago, having increased at the same rate as the salary cap). But not every player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract is able to negotiate that maximum bonus.

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Cavaliers Re-Sign Isaac Okoro To Three-Year Contract

September 17th, 2024 at 7:18pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 17: Okoro’s new deal is official, the Cavaliers confirmed today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Cavaliers are re-signing restricted free agent Isaac Okoro to a three-year, $38MM contract, agents Michael Tellem, Jeff Schwartz and Marcus Monk tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Okoro, 23, came in at No. 20 on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, making him the top remaining player who had yet to sign a new deal. It took more than two months, but the NBA’s lone restricted free agent has reached an agreement to return to Cleveland.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Okoro’s $11.8MM qualifying offer would have expired on Oct. 1, though he still would’ve been a restricted free agent had a deal not been reached by that point. The Cavs were approximately $10.4MM below the luxury tax line before accounting for Okoro’s new contract, Marks adds.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Okoro’s three-year deal features $33MM in guaranteed money. Sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Okoro’s contract features some unlikely bonuses tied to his team’s success (Twitter link).

The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Okoro averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range in 69 regular season games in 2023/24, including 42 starts (27.3 minutes per contest). The 6’5″ wing is primarily known for his defense, particularly on the ball, where he’s frequently tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

When we polled our readers about Okoro’s situation last week, 59% of those who voted thought he would end up accepting his qualifying offer — essentially just a one-year contract — to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. About 17% thought he would re-sign with the Cavs on a multiyear contract.

Scotto reports (via Twitter) that the Nets and Hornets were among the teams that showed sign-and-trade interest in Okoro before he agreed to a new contract with Cleveland.

Once Okoro’s signing is official, the Cavs will have 14 players on standard contracts, though only 11 of those deals are fully guaranteed. Tristan Thompson and Sam Merrill are on non-guaranteed contracts, while Craig Porter Jr. has a $1MM partial guarantee on his $1.89MM salary. All three of the team’s two-way slots are filled.

And-Ones: Fitts, Gilyard, NBA Schedule, Flagg, Swarm Staff

September 16th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an NBA G League swap, the Memphis Hustle acquired a 2025 first-round pick and the returning player rights to forward Malik Fitts from the Cleveland Charge, the Grizzlies’ G League team tweets. The Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, received the returning player rights to guard Jacob Gilyard.

Fitts has appeared in 18 NBA games, most recently in eight contests with Boston during the 2021/22 campaign when he was signed to two 10-day contracts. Gilyard appeared in a combined 41 NBA games with the Grizzlies and Nets last season. He was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn after Memphis waived him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

It’s impossible to keep all the NBA teams happy and give them their desired dates on an 82-game schedule. Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic spoke to an unnamed source who detailed the issues confronting the schedule makers. “You’ve got 30 different teams each with their own perspective on what they would like to see and within each of the 30 teams, you’ve got multiple perspectives from what makes the most sense,” the source said. “The league is then responsible for taking all of the different perspectives and try to make something that’s going to please everyone, which inherently is an impossible task.”
How would projected 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg impact a team in rebuild mode? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report dives into that topic, exploring how the Duke freshman big man would fit in with the Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.
Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff have been announced as assistant coaches on DJ Bakker‘s staff with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets‘ affiliate, the G League team announced in a press release. Peavy joins the Swarm after serving last season as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. Noel spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ affiliate. Ruoff was on West Virginia’s coaching staff the last two seasons.

Checking In On Early 2024/25 Roster Battles

September 14th, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Tristan Tucker

Each year, a handful of teams prefer to bring in players to battle it out for the last remaining spots on a given roster. Let’s take a look at a few training camp battles that are already brewing ahead of October.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have been busy in recent weeks, filling out their training camp roster with proven talent. The Bulls have 15 players on standard contracts, but Onuralp Bitim‘s deal is non-guaranteed. In addition, Chicago has two open two-way slots. The Bulls have four players — Talen Horton-Tucker, Kenneth Lofton Jr., E.J. Liddell and Marcus Domask — signed to training camp deals.

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted to two-way contracts at any time. Horton-Tucker is the only player of that batch who is ineligible for a two-way contract, since he is at five years of NBA service. That gives the Bulls a handful of options for their opening night roster.

In essence, Bitim and Horton-Tucker seem to be battling it out for the Bulls’ 15th roster spot, while Lofton, Liddell and Domask all appear to be candidates for the team’s open two-way slots. Of course, if the Bulls opt to move on from Bitim on a standard deal, they could attempt to re-sign him to a two-way deal. They could also just carry 14 players on the standard roster to begin the year.

New York Knicks

As we detailed Saturday morning, Landry Shamet and Chuma Okeke appear to be battling for the Knicks’ 15th roster spot. Of course, there’s no guarantee that either player will make the roster, but each has a decent case to make the team.

Shamet is a proven three-point shooter while Okeke is a versatile forward who is a previous 16th overall pick. The Knicks will likely assess in training camp what their biggest need is and keep the player who best fits that niche heading into the year.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have a handful of players on non-guaranteed or partially contracts heading into the season. However, previous reporting seems to indicate that the team’s final roster spot will come down to either Kendall Brown or Cole Swider.

Brown is an athletic forward who was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He has spent the last two seasons with the Pacers but has also appeared in just 21 total games. Meanwhile, the Pacers signed Swider to a training camp contract this offseason that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language. Swider is a known three-point shooter who spent last season with the Heat and helped Miami to a summer league championship this offseason.

James Wiseman and James Johnson each have partially guaranteed salaries with the Pacers.

The others

Other teams across the league are poised to either carry just 14 players on standard deals to begin the year or already have their 15-man rosters determined. However, some of those teams have unsettled two-way roster slots.

The Heat have their standard roster filled out, but summer standout Isaiah Stevens is on an Exhibit 10 deal. It seems like Stevens will battle Dru Smith — who currently holds a two-way deal — outright for that spot.

The Hornets have Moussa Diabate and KJ Simpson on two-way deals but have another spot open. Keyontae Johnson could be an option for that spot. Charlotte also has a potential opening on the 15-man roster, with four players signed to Exhibit 10 deals and another agreed to.

The Wizards also have an open two-way slot. Washington signed Leaky Black, Kira Lewis and Jaylen Nowell to Exhibit 10 contracts, but only Black is eligible for a two-way deal. The Wizards also have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, with Jared Butler and his non-guaranteed deal possibly on the outside looking in unless they make a trade.

The Clippers have RayJ Dennis, Kai Jones and Elijah Harkless signed to Exhibit 10 deals. The team also has an agreement with Kevon Harris for another such spot. With only Jordan Miller and Trentyn Flowers on two-way contracts, all of Dennis, Jones, Harkless and Harris are eligible for the team’s third.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Friedman, Wade

September 12th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After two years in Atlanta, Dejounte Murray was traded to New Orleans in July, leaving an open backcourt spot in the Hawks‘ projected starting lineup next to star point guard Trae Young. Who will fill that opening? Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) considers the options, suggesting that as many as five players could be in the mix for the job.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dyson Daniels look like the top candidates. A Young/Bogdanovic pairing in the backcourt could create some problems on the defensive end, according to Williams, though she notes that Bogdanovic improved on that end of the court last season. Daniels, meanwhile, has the makings of an elite point-of-attack defender, but he has yet to display much of an offensive game at the NBA level and will be new to the Hawks’ system.

Vit Krejci, Garrison Mathews, and Kobe Bufkin are the other shooting guard possibilities Williams looks at, though she acknowledges that not all of them are locks to end up in the regular rotation, let alone to vie for a starting role.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Hawks will hold their training camp next month at the University of Georgia in Athens, per Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while the Hornets will conduct their camp in Durham at Duke University, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It’ll be a familiar setting for Hornets big man Mark Williams, who played his college ball with the Blue Devils.
Assistant coach Nick Friedman, who spent the past five seasons in the Hornets organization, is joining the Capital City Go-Go – the Wizards‘ G League affiliate – under head coach Cody Toppert, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Friedman and Toppert previously worked together with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Northern Arizona Suns, Scotto notes.
The Heat announced on Thursday that they’ll be unveiling a statue of Dwyane Wade outside Kaseya Center on Sunday, October 27, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. Wade will be honored by the team the following night during the Oct. 28 home game vs. Detroit.