Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cody Martin Out Approximately Six Weeks Following Knee Procedure

November 11th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

4:13pm: The Hornets confirmed in a press release that Martin underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a “cartilage issue.” He will be reevaluated in four weeks.

1:41pm: Hornets forward Cody Martin has undergone an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for approximately the next six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Martin had been on the shelf since the team’s regular season opener, having played just a single minute in that game. Although his injury was being referred to as left quad soreness, Martin missed all but one preseason game while recovering from left knee tendinopathy and head coach Steve Clifford mentioned that knee after the veteran went down in the opener.

It’s a disappointing turn of events for Martin, who enjoyed a mini-breakout season in 2021/22 as a key reserve in Charlotte, averaging 7.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .482/.384/.701 shooting in 71 games (26.3 MPG). His contributions earned him a four-year, $31MM+ commitment from the Hornets when he became a restricted free agent this past summer.

The Hornets have been hit hard by the injury bug so far this fall. Starting point guard LaMelo Ball hasn’t seen the floor since the season began due to an ankle sprain, while Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward have also missed time due to injuries.

Rozier is back in the lineup now and there’s hope that Ball and Hayward won’t be out much longer, but it appears the team will have to get by without Martin until sometime around Christmas. As long as he’s unavailable, the Hornets figure to lean heavily on starting forwards P.J. Washington and Kelly Oubre, with Jalen McDaniels also seeing significant minutes off the bench.

Ball Remains Out Of Action

November 7th, 2022 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While there has been growing optimism that LaMelo Ball will soon make his season debut, it won’t happen on Monday night. The team’s PR department lists him as out for the Hornets’ contest against Washington (Twitter link).

Ball suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain in a preseason game on October 10. Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (left shoulder contusion) also remains out of action.

Oubre Excited For Ball's Return

November 6th, 2022 at 7:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LaMelo Ball could return this week from the left ankle sprain that has sidelined him since late in the preseason. His Hornets teammates are excited at the prospect of having their floor leader back, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. “Super excited, super anxious,” Kelly Oubre said. “I tell him every day I miss him on the court. You know, he’s another element to our team that is through the roof. You can’t put a matchup on him.”

Hornets Respond To Bridges Plea Deal

November 5th, 2022 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of news that restricted free agent Miles Bridges has agreed to a plea deal and will be sentenced to three years of probation, the Hornets released the following statement on Thursday (via Twitter): “We are aware of today’s developments regarding Miles Bridges’ legal situation. We will continue to gather information before determining any potential next steps. Until then, we will have no additional comments.”
With Bridges’ case settled, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers whether or not the Hornets will move forward with a deal for the RFA forward. As Pincus observes, the NBA’s history suggests that it’s probably only a matter of time before Bridges returns to the court, despite the horrific allegations against him. If and when he officially signs a contract, the league would have the option of suspending him based on its findings in his domestic violence case.

Hornets’ Ball, Rozier, Martin “Extremely Close” To Return

November 4th, 2022 at 7:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have been shorthanded to start the 2022/23 season and currently sit with a 3-5 record entering Friday’s game at Memphis, but reinforcements could be coming soon.

Head coach Steve Clifford said on Friday that LaMelo Ball (Grade 2 left ankle sprain), Terry Rozier (right ankle sprain) and Cody Martin (left quad soreness) are all “extremely close” to returning from their injuries, adding that the team has been cautious so they don’t have any setbacks, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer tweets.

While Clifford’s update was certainly positive, he wouldn’t commit to any of three players participating in Saturday’s game against the Nets or Monday’s game against the Wizards. Still, it appears that their returns are imminent, according to Boone (Twitter link).

Ball was previously ruled out for Friday’s game, and Rozier and Martin were both downgraded from doubtful to out, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Gordon Hayward is also sidelined with a left shoulder contusion.

The 21-year-old Ball, a former No. 3 overall pick, has missed the entire regular season to this point after suffering the Grade 2 ankle sprain in a preseason game on October 10. A first-time All-Star last season for the Hornets, the point guard will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason after the team picked up his 2023/24 option.

Rozier, typically the team’s other starting guard, has been limited to just two games thus far. He has been very productive when healthy, averaging 23.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 8.5 APG and 1.5 BPG in 33.0 MPG.

Martin was injured less than a minute into the season opener after re-signing with the Hornets on a four-year, $31.36MM deal over the summer (the final year is non-guaranteed). Clifford previously called the small forward a “critical player” for Charlotte.

Once all of the Hornets are healthy, guards Dennis Smith Jr. (who has been starting at point guard), James Bouknight and Theo Maledon will almost certainly see their minutes reduced. Having said that, Smith seems like an excellent candidate to remain in the rotation going forward, as he’s played very well through eight games, averaging 12.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.4 APG and 2.3 SPG on .494/.421/.571 shooting in 30.9 MPG.

Gordon Hayward Suffers Left Shoulder Contusion

November 3rd, 2022 at 6:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has sustained a left shoulder contusion and will miss at least the team’s next game, Charlotte has announced (Twitter link).

The 6’7″ combo forward suffered in the injury during the first of Charlotte’s 106-88 blowout loss to the Bulls Wednesday night. Charlotte has revealed that Hayward is going to be considered day-to-day after the Memphis contest.

The 32-year-old had previously started all eight of the 3-5 Hornets’ contests this season. He boasts averages of 17.4 PPG (on .472/.357/.784 shooting splits), 4.3 RPG, 4.1 APG and 0.8 SPG across 31 MPG.

Hayward, a former All-Star while with the Jazz, has been plagued by a litany of maladies ever since he departed Utah as a free agent, signing a maximum deal with the Celtics ahead of the 2017/18 NBA season. He played five minutes that year. Outside of the 2018/19 season, Hayward has missed at least 20 games every year since departing the franchise that drafted him ninth out of Butler in 2010.

Miles Bridges Takes Plea Deal, Will Avoid Jail Time

November 3rd, 2022 at 4:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Restricted free agent Hornets forward Miles Bridges and his representatives have worked out a plea deal with prosecutors regarding his felony domestic violence case, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Bridges pleaded no contest, meaning he’s accepting a punishment and conviction without admitting guilt.

Bridges was arrested and charged following a Los Angeles incident this spring in which he was accused of physical violence against his partner in front of their two young children. She required medical attention following the incident, per TMZ Sports.

In July, Bridges pleaded not guilty to the three charges initially levied at him: one count of injuring a parent to a minor, and two counts of child abuse in situations that could cause significant injury or death. As Holmes notes, the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon indicated that Bridges’ kids were present to witness the abuse, but would not otherwise elaborate on the two child abuse charges.

On Thursday, Bridges’ lawyer finalized a plea deal with Gascon’s office, in which Bridges would plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while the two child abuse counts were dismissed. Bridges will accept three years of probation while avoiding jail time.

According to Holmes, Bridges has been ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and a year of parenting classes. Another element of his three-year probation is 100 hours of community service.

Bridges will not be permitted to own any dangerous weapons, including guns or ammo. He was ordered to pay minimal fines and is also required to honor his former girlfriend’s 10-year restraining order, which mandates that he is to have no contact with her and must remain 100 yards or more away from her at all times. He will be permitted to keep shared custody of their children, with any visitation or exchange of the children occurring through a neutral third party, Holmes explains.

Though Bridges received a qualifying offer to enter restricted free agency just weeks before he was booked, Charlotte let the offer expire early last month. Thus, Bridges remains a restricted free agent, but he will no longer be able to accept the qualifying offer. He could negotiate a new deal with the Hornets or sign an offer sheet with another team.

If the 6’7″ combo forward does eventually sign a new contract with an NBA club, the league would have the ability to fine, suspend, or even disqualify Bridges due to his no-contest plea. The NBA wouldn’t have the jurisdiction to discipline Bridges if he had gone through the trial process and been found not guilty.

Southeast Notes: Wright, Carter, Hampton, Bogdanovic, Clifford

October 30th, 2022 at 3:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With veteran guard Delon Wright sidelined indefinitely due to a strained right hamstring, the Wizards missed his perimeter defense in a 127-117 loss to the Pacers Friday night, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

Though the 6’5″ combo guard is averaging a modest 6.5 PPG, 3.3 APG and 2.5 RPG in his four games with Washington, he gives the team size as a reserve guard and wing toughness that it had lacked last season, Hughes opines.

“It’s tough,” shooting guard Bradley Beal said of life without Wright. “You could see it tonight because he’s a pest on defense, he gets us those deflections. He’s just everywhere. He’s a pest. He gets in on the bigs, he gets those reach-ins, a lot of those things. He gets into the ball. Really good defender.”

The 30-year-old out of Utah signed a two-year, $16MM deal with Washington during the offseason. He suffered a grade two hamstring strain, and is expected to be unavailable for six-to-eight weeks. Hughes thinks that Beal, Monte Morris, and Will Barton will need to step up on the defensive side of the ball in the absence of Wright, as will small forward Deni Avdija, who has emerged as a versatile defender thus far, capable of defending smaller backcourt players.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Magic starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has made a representation change. Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel tweets that the 6’10” big man has inked a new deal with LIFT Sports Management. Meanwhile, Price reports in a separate piece that Carter’s Orlando teammate R.J. Hampton is departing LIFT after the Magic opted not to exercise its team option on his fourth season.
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is gradually moving through his recovery process from a May knee surgery. Atlanta is excited about the progress Bogdanovic has managed to make through his rehabilitation thus far, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m back to the court activities, and I feel good, just a little out of basketball shape,” Bogdanovic told Williams. “You know, I need a rhythm back, you know, change of direction, explosive moves. But now I’m focusing on that.” Retired Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver, now the team’s director of player affairs and development, has made himself available to Bogdanovic so that the current Atlanta wing can tweak the mechanics of his shooting form post-surgery. “He helped me a lot, you know, especially through the challenging times, where I couldn’t, like, figure it out, how to make that transition, from use, to what I’m doing in the weightlifting room with the strength coaches, and everybody else, (physical therapy), how to translate it on the court,” Bogdanovic said.
Hornets head coach Steve Clifford can be credited at least in part with the club’s solid 3-3 start to the 2022/23 season, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think Steve is one of the most underrated coaches in the league,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “His defensive schemes are really sharp. He always does some interesting things against us to make us think, to make us work for baskets. His teams tend to execute really well on the offensive side.” Clifford’s players appreciate the organization he is bringing to bear for the club during his second go-around running the show. “He communicates very well on what he wants from us, and if we don’t do that he holds us accountable,” Kelly Oubre said. “That’s everything in this league because obviously we have a young team, but at the end of the day we are trying to grow and learn and be the best in our profession.”

Southeast Notes: DSJ, Beal, Haslem, F. Wagner

October 28th, 2022 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t have a ton of personal or team success during his stint as a Knick from 2019-21, but he said on Wednesday that the adversity he experienced in New York “helped me grow as a person,” as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays.

“Without going though what I went through, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’m thankful for that whole time I was here, the good and the bad,” Smith said before his new team, the Hornets, faced the Knicks. “The thing I learned is nobody gave me my happiness or my job, so I can’t let anybody steal it. I came in, found something to be grateful for every day, and I started to make the most of every situation I was in. That really prepared me for where I’m at now.”

A free agent for most of the 2022 offseason, Smith said he told his agent he wasn’t interested in playing overseas and indicated that he mulled the possibility of trying to compete for a spot in the NFL as a defensive back, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Smith ultimately landed in Charlotte, and while his deal with the Hornets remains non-guaranteed, he has played well in LaMelo Ball‘s absence, including registering 14 points and 11 assists against his old team in New York on Wednesday. Head coach Steve Clifford likes what he has seen so far from the former lottery pick.

“His defense is just, I mean, it’s terrific,” Clifford said, according to Braziller. “His individual defense, his pick-and-roll defense, his team defense. He’s competing at an incredibly high level at that end of the floor. Some guys figure it out late, some guys figure it out right away. He’s a talented guy. Even though with the injuries he’s not the athlete he was, but he’s still a really good athlete even for this league. I don’t see that he’s doing anything that he can’t continue to do, frankly.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

After signing a record-setting $251MM contract in the offseason, star guard Bradley Beal is now trying to lead his teammates by example, especially on the defensive end, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 3-1 Wizards have a top-five defense in the NBA early on in the 2022/23 season. “I know that … if I’m engaged and locked in and energetic and ready to go on the defensive end, that speaks volumes to the rest of the team, and everybody else follows suit,” Beal said. “We almost have a saying: ‘If Brad can do it, everybody can do it.’ So if I can get down in a stance and get after it, everybody can. It’s something that we hold each other accountable to do, starting with me.”
Having appeared briefly in the Heat‘s Wednesday victory in Portland, veteran big man Udonis Haslem has now officially played in 20 NBA seasons, fulfilling a vow he made to his late father. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel has the story and the quotes from Haslem.
In a conversation with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Magic forward Franz Wagner spoke about his long-term goals, his early impressions of No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, and getting to play with brother Moritz Wagner in Orlando.

And-Ones: Wembanyama, 2023 Draft, Tanking, More

October 28th, 2022 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA will give fans an opportunity to take a closer look at 2023’s projected No. 1 pick over the next several months, announcing on Thursday that all of this season’s Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 games will be available to watch for free on the NBA app. The Metropolitans 92 are, of course, Victor Wembanyama‘s team in France.

The Metropolotians 92 compete in the LNB Betclic ELITE, France’s top basketball league. According to the NBA’s announcement, the French games included on the NBA App will include the All-Star Game on December 29 and the Leaders Cup (playoff) games from February 17-19. The league has a preliminary broadcast schedule right here, though it only includes October and November games for the time being.

The buzz around Wembanyama reached a new level when his French team faced off against the G League Ignite for a pair of exhibition games earlier this month. The NBA is clearly hoping to capitalize off of the increasing level of interest in the 7’3″ super-prospect as he prepares to enter the league in 2023.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

While Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson remains locks to be the first and second players off the board in the 2023 NBA draft, there are plenty of questions behind them in the lottery, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Vecenie has published an updated version of his ’23 mock draft, projecting Amen Thompson of Overtime Elite to be the No. 3 overall pick, followed by Arkansas’ Nick Smith Jr., Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Baylor’s Keyonte George, and Duke’s Dariq Whitehead.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports suggests that the NBA should attempt to curb tanking by prohibiting teams from getting a top-three pick in back-to-back years. He hears that a version of that rule was proposed by the NBA in talks with teams and was resisted by a “small handful” of general managers, despite being favored by commissioner Adam Silver.
Suns center Jock Landale and Hornets big man Nick Richards are among the under-the-radar players who are worth getting to know based on their performances in the first 10 days of this NBA season, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. As Hollinger notes, both Landale and Richards will be restricted free agents in 2023.