Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Keyontae Johnson Agrees To Deal With Hornets

August 20th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson is signing with the Hornets, according to a social media post from his agency, Priority Sports (Instagram link).

It’s unclear what sort of deal Johnson is signing with the Hornets. Charlotte has one open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot, so he could theoretically be signing into one of those open spots. A two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 contract feel like the most likely outcomes for the former Kansas State forward.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in 2023 and spent his rookie season on a two-way contract. He averaged 1.2 points in nine games last season but played more in the G League, averaging 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 38 games with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Johnson began his collegiate career at Florida, where he played from 2018-22. He was a member of the All-SEC First Team in his sophomore season after averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. Then, in 2020, Johnson made national headlines after collapsing on the court and falling into a coma. He made a remarkable recovery over the next two years before returning to basketball in 2022/23 as a member of Kansas State. He had a terrific season for the Wildcats, averaging 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and was rewarded with an NBA contract for his efforts.

The 6’6″ forward continued his impressive play into the G League last season where he made 40.4% of his three-point attempts.

Signing Johnson would bring the Hornets to 17 players on their offseason roster out of a maximum 21. They have 14 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals, and Johnson, whose deal has yet to be specified. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign undrafted free agent Raequan Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Stein’s Latest: Curry, James, Embiid, Yurtseven, Micic

August 18th, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry is eligible for a one-season, $62.6MM contract extension prior to October 21. He could also wait until the 2025 offseason to seek a two-year deal worth a projected $130MM, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

Stein notes that, having missed out on Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Sixers All-Star Paul George, Golden State continues looking for opportunities to upgrade the roster via trade. The Warriors believe they have the current and future assets necessary to do just that.

Last year’s Warriors went 46-36, finishing with just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Golden State failed to make the playoffs after falling to the Kings in the play-in tournament.

Curry, 36, had yet another excellent individual year. The 10-time All-Star averaged 26.4 points on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 74 games.

Here are some other key notes from Stein’s newest Substack article:

According to Stein, there’s a belief that the Lakers would have “reluctantly” engaged in trade discussions to send All-NBA combo forward LeBron James to the Warriors, so he could join then-future Team USA colleague Curry and friend Draymond Green, if that’s what James had wanted. However, Stein’s sources say that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, urged both L.A. and Golden State to scrap the idea — in part because Paul didn’t want James to be faced with criticism for jumping teams for a fourth time.
Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, fresh off winning his first Olympic gold medal for Team USA this summer, hinted that he might be interested in playing for his native Cameroon during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. However, as Stein writes, a player over the age of 17 can only change his country affiliation if he receives clearance from FIBA and his previous country (in this case, USA Basketball). Stein is skeptical that Embiid will be permitted to do so.
According to Stein, free agent center Omer Yurtseven was one of several players to recently work out for the Knicks, who opted not to sign him at that time. Greek club Panathinaikos reportedly remains intrigued by the 7-footer. New York lost its 2023/24 starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein, to the Thunder in free agency, and no doubt needs to get creative filling out its frontcourt depth, so Yurtseven would have made sense as a fringe rotation option. Across three NBA seasons with the Heat and Jazz, the big man has appeared in 113 contests (24 starts), averaging 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.7 steals per night.
Hornets point guard Vasilije Micic is considered a potential down-the-road trade target for the Nuggets, given his close relationship with Nikola Jokic, Stein writes. Micic may not be a practical option for Denver at this point though, given his $7.7MM salary and the team’s proximity to the tax aprons. Acquired midway through his 2023/24 rookie season, the 6’5″ guard averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 assists across 30 games for Charlotte down the stretch.

NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Charlotte Hornets

August 16th, 2024 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets.

Free agent signings

Miles Bridges: Three years, $75,000,000. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Seth Curry: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Taj Gibson: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($1,082,270). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Acquired Devonte’ Graham and the Pelicans’ 2025 second-round pick from the Spurs in exchange for cash.
- Note: Graham was subsequently waived.
Acquired Josh Green, Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets’ 2029 second-round pick, and the Nuggets’ 2030 second-round pick from the Mavericks and Nuggets in a six-team trade in exchange for the Sixers’ 2025 second-round pick (to Mavericks or Timberwolves) and cash (to Nuggets).
- Note: Jackson was subsequently bought out.

Draft picks

1-6: Tidjane Salaun
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $34,035,472).
2-42: KJ Simpson
- Signed to two-year, two-way contract.

Two-way signings

Moussa Diabate
KJ Simpson

Departed/unsigned free agents

Amari Bailey (unsigned)
JT Thor (unsigned)

Other moves

Waived Davis Bertans.
Waived Leaky Black (two-way).
Waived Marques Bolden (two-way).
Waived Bryce McGowens.
Waived Aleksej Pokusevski.

Salary cap situation

Went below the cap to use room.
Now operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
Carrying approximately $153.6MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $188,931,000.
Full room exception ($8MM) available.

The offseason so far

The Hornets only won 21 games in 2023/24, their lowest mark in over a decade, but there were a few positive developments over the course of the season – the first under their new ownership group – that may pay off for the franchise in the long run.

For one, last year’s No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller looks like a long-term building block and a future star. Charlotte also made a smart mid-season pivot, accepting the best offers on the trade market for veterans Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington, and Gordon Hayward, which netted the club several future draft assets. Finally, the team made a front office change in the spring, hiring Jeff Peterson to be its new head of basketball operations.

It will take some time before we can really evaluate several of the moves Peterson made during his first offseason at the helm. For instance, his head coaching hire looks like a good one — Charles Lee has received rave reviews for his work as an assistant. But first-time head coaches don’t come without risk, so it remains to be seen whether Lee’s transition to a lead role is a smooth one.

The biggest roster move the Hornets made this summer was re-signing forward Miles Bridges to a three-year, $75MM contract as an unrestricted free agent. That looks like a fair deal based on his on-court production, but Bridges’ history of domestic violence cases can’t be ignored. The hope in Charlotte is that Bridges’ past behavior is fully in the rear-view mirror and that he’ll be an upstanding citizen going forward, but you can certainly make a case that the Hornets never should have made that sort of investment to a player with those allegations on his record.

The Hornets’ 2024 lottery pick doesn’t come without risk either, albeit for entirely different reasons — Tidjane Salaun just turned 19 last week and isn’t considered likely to make an NBA impact as a rookie. Many people around the league were surprised Salaun was selected as high as No. 6, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo; ESPN’s Jonathan Givony describes him as a player who is “still just getting his feet wet at the highest levels.” That doesn’t mean Salaun won’t become an impact player down the road, but Charlotte will have to be patient with his development.

The Hornets operated under the cap this offseason, with Peterson using that room to accommodate a handful of salary dumps (Devonte’ Graham, Reggie Jackson, Josh Green) rather than pursuing outside free agents.

Graham and Jackson came with draft picks attached and were subsequently waived, whereas Green – a 23-year-old wing with a three-and-D skill set – projects to be a rotation player in Charlotte going forward. He’s under contract through the 2026/27 season.

Up next

The Hornets still have roster spots to fill before the regular season begins, with 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.

While the team could leave that 15th standard roster spot open to start the season, there’s no real reason not to fill it, given how far Charlotte’s team salary is from the luxury tax line. If the Hornets aren’t yet prepared to commit to a player for the full season, they could carry a 15th man with a non-guaranteed salary this fall.

Tre Mann, who was acquired from the Thunder at the 2024 trade deadline, is eligible for a rookie scale extension, while Cody Martin is eligible for a veteran extension. Martin isn’t a candidate for a new deal at this point, given his injury woes over the past two seasons, but Mann might be one worth watching — he made 28 starts for Charlotte down the stretch and played well (11.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, .453/.364/.759 shooting).

That’s a relatively small sample size, so the Hornets may prefer to wait another year on Mann and then negotiate a deal with him in restricted free agency next summer. But if they’re encouraged by how he looks in camp and if the price is right, I wouldn’t be totally shocked if the two sides worked something out sooner rather than later.

The Hornets are a team to watch on the trade market during the preseason and into the season, since they can afford to take on some salary and have shown in the last eight months that they’re happy to take on unwanted contracts in order to continue stockpiling draft assets.

And-Ones: Marquee Matchups, Cap Room, Spending, Most Improved Teams

August 16th, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA revealed its full schedule for the 2024/25 regular season on Thursday, and while there generally aren’t any surprises on that schedule (it’s not like the NFL, where a team plays fewer than half of the league’s other clubs), it’s still worth circling specific dates and marquee matchups.

Zach Harper of The Athletic, Chris Mannix of SI.com, and ESPN did just that, with Harper highlighting 35 games he’s looking forward to, Mannix naming 10 games to watch, and ESPN identifying 23 games not to miss.

Unsurprisingly, the Knicks/Celtics regular season opener (October 22), Paul George‘s return to Los Angeles with the Sixers (November 6), and Klay Thompson‘s return to Golden State with the Mavericks (Nov. 12) made all three lists.

The other two matchups that showed up on all three lists? Wizards at Hawks on Oct. 28 in the first regular season matchup between this year’s top two draft picks (Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr) and Spurs at Thunder on Oct. 30 in this season’s first Victor Wembanyama/Chet Holmgren showdown.

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

A total of seven NBA teams operated under the cap and used room to make moves this offseason. As Keith Smith of Spotrac writes, those clubs used their cap space in very different ways, with some – like the Sixers and Thunder – making splashes in free agency, some (such as the Hornets) focusing on taking in salary in trades, and one (the Jazz) using most of its room to renegotiate a star player’s contract.
Which NBA teams have been the “cheapest” in recent years and which have been most willing to spend? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores that questions, ranking each team by its spending from 2017-24 and considering whether clubs should have been willing to invest more on those rosters. The Warriors, Clippers, and Bucks have been the biggest spenders over the last seven years, while the Bulls, Pistons, and Hornets are at the other end of the list.
In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks all 30 NBA clubs based on how much they improved their rosters with their offseason moves. Aldridge’s list, which is sorted by which teams improved most in the short term rather than which clubs made the “best” moves, features the Thunder, Sixers, and Magic at the top. Not coincidentally, those clubs made three of the summer’s biggest free agent signings, adding Isaiah Hartenstein, Paul George, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, respectively.

And-Ones: K. Smith, Schedule, C. Brown, Burton, Duke & Rutgers

August 14th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warner Bros. Discovery is suing the NBA after being excluded from the new broadcast rights package, but Kenny Smith isn’t worried about how that might affect what will likely be the final year of “Inside the NBA,” writes Greg Rajan of The Houston Chronicle. Smith, who has been with the network since his playing career ended in 1998, insists that nothing will change inside the studio.

“No, because we do our jobs,” he said. “Our job is to talk (about) the game and give insight and also give you insight about what’s going on behind the scenes with TNT. Like, ‘Hey, we’re not happy.’ That’s part of what makes us different. I don’t think any other network would allow or want their talent to talk about things like that. We’re going to do it, no matter what happens.

“But again, we’ve had a great run. If it continues, it’ll be great. But also, there are massive opportunities for the four of us — again, to create ownership opportunities to make sure our directors, producers, makeup, stats and audio people are still part of one of the greatest shows in sports TV history.”

Smith views the possible end of the network’s affiliation with the NBA as an opportunity for the show to reach out into other areas. He compares it to what Adam Sandler or Peyton and Eli Manning are doing with their companies, providing a chance to create a new brand in sports television.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

More details on the 2024/25 NBA schedule continue to leak out ahead of the official announcement at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday. The Nuggets will host the Thunder on October 24 in the season opener for both teams, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It will be a matchup of the top two seeds in the West last season. After facing the Clippers October 23 in the first game at the new Inuit Dome, the Suns will stay in Los Angeles to take on the Lakers October 25 before hosting the Mavericks in their home opener a night later, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Kings will have two six-game road trips during the season, sources tell James Ham of Kings Beat (Twitter link). One in January will have them face the Nuggets, Knicks, Nets, Sixers, Thunder and Timberwolves, and another from March 29 to April 7 will feature games against the Magic, Pacers, Wizards, Hornets, Cavaliers and Pistons.
Former NBA players Charlie Brown Jr. and Deonte Burton will be among the players representing the G League United in a pair of September exhibition games, the league announced (Twitter links).
Duke and Rutgers will be the top destinations for NBA scouts when the college basketball season begins, observes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. The Blue Devils have the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, Cooper Flagg, along with Khaman Maluach, a probable lottery selection who played for South Sudan in the Olympics. The Scarlet Knights’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are also in contention for the top spot in next year’s draft.

Salo To Head Performance Staff

August 12th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shelly Cayette-Weston, the Hornets’ new president of business operations, said that renovations for the team’s Spectrum Center are on schedule. “It’s a two-phase process, so that’s going to be a little interesting,” Cayette-Weston told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “We’re going to have Phase 1 that opens this October, and then we’re going to go and do a lot more work even next summer. So, I want them to also prepare that it is a multi-phase summer project. But I think when they come in, still they’re going to immediately see some new clubs, some new spaces, you think about the entrance when you walk in and that plaza area.”
The Hornets have announced that their new health and performance staff will be led by Trent Salo, Boone tweets. Salo worked for the Pistons over the last seven seasons. Matthew Tuttle has been named director of sports medicine and Bryce Daub has the title of director of athletic performance. Quinton Sawyer has been promoted to head athletic trainer.

Olympic Notes: James, Kerr, Collet, Attendance, Micic

August 11th, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could a 43-year-old LeBron James play in the Los Angeles Games in 2028? The Lakers superstar doubts that will happen, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes.

“No, I can’t see myself playing in L.A. I also didn’t see myself playing in Paris,” he said. “But four years from now, now I can’t see it.”

A 39-year-old James was certainly a huge factor in Team USA’s triumph. James averaged 14.2 points, 8.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals and earned Olympic Most Valuable Player honors.

“It’s an honor,” he said. “I don’t know who the voting committee, or whatever the case may be, but super-humbled that they even voted for me,” James said. “But it came with us winning gold and that’s what’s more important for me. It’s pretty cool.”

We have more on the Olympics:

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that the tournament provided plenty of drama and high-quality play, culminating with tense games in the semifinals and final, according to Team USA coach Steve Kerr. “It didn’t surprise me. There’s a reason these guys sign up for this,” he said, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. “The Olympics are special and all these guys play for two things. They play for the NBA championships and Olympic golds. Those are the highest, those are the pinnacles of success as a player in the NBA, in America. … It’s no accident they can do what they do during crunch time. When you see these guys behind the scenes and how much they love the process, it all makes sense why they’re as good as they are.”
France’s head coach Vincent Collet believes the loss in the gold medal game was a blown opportunity for his squad, according to Barkas. “We could do more but you have to do the perfect game and we didn’t do it at all,” Collet said. “Still, I really think with a little bit more, we could push them much more. Okay, we did it, we were not too far but I’m sure we could do better. We had the chance, We didn’t take it and we must think about it next time.”
The Paris Olympics set an attendance record for basketball, previously held by Atlanta in 1996, Sportando relays. According to BasketEurope, a total of 1,068,032 spectators attended the men’s and women’s games, an average attendance was 20,737 spectators per game. The attendance record was made even more impressive by the fact that just 52 games were played, 40 fewer than in the 1996 edition in Atlanta.
Hornets guard Vasilije Micic finished the Olympics on a high note, scoring 19 points as Serbia defeated Germany, 93-83, for the bronze medal. “We are still a little bit short for a gold or silver. But still, this bronze shines like gold for us,” Micic said, per Barkas.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Russell, D. Johnson

August 10th, 2024 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The two Lakers who collected gold medals in this year’s Olympics have differing plans for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. LeBron James, who won MVP honors while leading Team USA to a 6-0 record, responded “I can’t see myself playing in L.A.” when reporters asked about the possibility, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. However, Anthony Davis said “I think so,” per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

James’ outlook makes sense considering that he’ll turn 40 later this year and will be 43 when it’s time for the 2028 Olympics. Even after signing a new two-year contract with the Lakers, there’s a good chance he’ll be retired – and possibly part of a team’s ownership group – four years from now.

Davis is only 31 and should have a few more years of high-level basketball left, assuming his body holds up. He played 76 games last season, his highest total in four years, and was able to avoid significant injuries. It’s possible that all three of Team USA’s centers — Davis, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo — will return to the team for 2028.

There’s more on the Lakers:

After watching James perform at an elite level during the Olympics, Dan Wolken of USA Today calls out Lakers management for not putting a better team around him. While James has lost some of the athleticism he had at his physical peak, Woken notes that he’s still an exceptional passer who knows how to make the right plays and can drive to the basket as well as anyone when he needs to. Wolken criticizes general manager Rob Pelinka for not making any moves to improve the roster around James and basically wasting the final years of his career.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests a three-team trade that would give the Lakers some additional depth and create a way to sign free agent guard Markelle Fultz. Pincus’ proposal sends D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish and Christian Wood to the Hornets, who would ship Tre Mann and Nick Richards to L.A. and Vasilije Micić to the Jazz. Utah would also receive a 2031 protected first-rounder from the Lakers. L.A. would get trade exceptions worth $13.8MM for Russell and $3MM for Wood, while Charlotte would get a 2025 first-rounder from the Jazz (the second best of the three they own) and a $1.1MM trade exception for Richards. Pincus argues that the move makes the Lakers younger while giving them proven backups at point guard and center. Fultz can add backcourt depth by signing a contract starting at the $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception.
The G League South Bay Lakers have parted ways with head coach Dane Johnson, the team announced (via Twitter). Johnson served as the Lakers’ Summer League coach last month in Las Vegas.

Hornets, Raequan Battle Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 8th, 2024 at 8:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent former West Virginia swingman Raequan Battle has agreed to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract with the Hornets, sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

A 6’5″ swingman, Battle averaged 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per contest across 22 games with the Mountaineers as a fifth-year senior in 2023/24, posting a shooting line of .408/.339/.835. He played on Charlotte’s Summer League squad in July.

As Boone notes, Battle’s training camp deal may signify the Hornets’ interest in making him an affiliate player with their G League squad, the Greensboro Swarm.

Battle could also see his training camp contract converted to a two-way deal with the Hornets up until the day before the regular season begins. Charlotte currently has one open two-way slot available, with the other two committed to point guard KJ Simpson and center Moussa Diabate.

It’s more probable that Battle will be cut prior to the start of the year and will then become an affiliate player with the Swarm. Should a player be waived from an Exhibit 10 deal and then spend at least 60 days with that team’s NBAGL affiliate, he’d stand to earn a bonus worth as much as $77.5K.

Eastern Notes: Lee, Peterson, Hornets, Ivey, Duren, White, Pullin

August 7th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Tristan Tucker

After speaking with more than 10 candidates, the Hornets decided on Charles Lee to be the franchise’s next head coach, having been won over by Lee’s basketball and business backgrounds, as well as his experience in player development and championship history, according to executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, who spoke to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov about Lee and the state of the Hornets.

“His tactical skills are great,” Peterson said of Charlotte’s new head coach. “He’s a champion. He’s won two championships. Which, obviously, there’s a premium on just being a winner, and he has that. And he’s just an amazing teacher and communicator. He’s going to do his best just to get everything he can out of each player. That’s a big reason why I went with him as well.”

This offseason, the Hornets continued supplementing their young core by adding Tidjane Salaun with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft. He joins young talent like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who were among the best players in their respective draft classes.

“[Salaun] loves being in the gym, loves to get better and loves the process,” Peterson said. “So, again, we can sleep at night knowing that he has those qualities, and then, not to mention, he has some skill to him, too. He can rebound and push. He can make his shot. So, we’re just really excited about, more than anything, his mindset and his approach to how we’re going to progress and build this thing out.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pistons have never had three players in three consecutive seasons earn rookie scale contract extensions, but that could change next year when Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren become eligible. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic details the fascinating seasons ahead for the young duo, who are playing for a front office that didn’t draft them, a team looking to be active in trades and their third head coach in as many years. Their situation is particularly tricky because if they show significant growth, it would make sense for the organization to keep them. But if either or both players stagnate, their trade value will be hampered compared to what it is now, Edwards opines. How they’re used will be worth monitoring closely ahead of the February trade deadline.
Entering his sixth season in the NBA after a year in which he was a Most Improved Player finalist, Bulls guard Coby White is transitioning to a leadership role for a franchise that looks to be getting younger, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. White cited DeMar DeRozan‘s leadership style as a model he wants to emulate. “DeMar always led by example,” White said. “He wasn’t always the loudest guy in the room or most talkative guy in the room. But if we had a meeting, he was early. If we had a bus time, he was one of the first ones there. He was never late to a meeting. He was always ready to go. When the game came, it was always about business. And the way he took me, [Ayo Dosunmu], [Dalen Terry], Pat [Williams] under his wing, it shed light on the things that I’m looking forward to when I get older. And that can start now for me.“
Zyon Pullin has had an unorthodox start to his NBA career after going undrafted out of Florida. He earned a two-way deal immediately from the Heat but was waived to make room for Josh Christopher. This week, he was re-signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, signaling Miami still wants him in the organization. Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun Sentinel thinks Pullin will have an opportunity to compete for a two-way deal this fall. As we detailed on Tuesday, that may be an uphill battle, as he’d have to beat out Isaiah Stevens, Dru Smith and possibly Alondes Williams for that final spot. Smith is currently under contract in that two-way slot, while Williams is an unrestricted free agent. Pullin and Stevens are both on Exhibit 10 deals.