- After signing a one-year deal with the Hornets, Taj Gibson is looking forward to being a veteran leader with a new organization. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Gibson talks about imparting the knowledge that he has picked up during his 15 NBA seasons. “It was very special for me coming in, because I came into the league in an era when we had multiple veterans on our team that taught you how to be a professional, how to look out for your teammates, how to be tough,” Gibson said. “There were times I would look at the bench and the vets would always give me that look or give me that dinner after a tough game. And it was really beneficial for my career because my career was able to go a long distance.”
- Matt Morgan‘s perfect shooting night in the Summer League will give him more attention as he tries to land a two-way NBA contract or a new deal in Europe, per Eurohoops. The Hornets guard, who played for the London Lions last season, made all 11 of his shots from the field, including seven three-pointers, in Friday’s win over Portland.
Following a high-scoring All-Rookie First Team debut season, Hornets forward Brandon Miller was invited to play for the USA Select Team against a stacked U.S. Olympic squad.
The Alabama alum reflected on the experience during a conversation with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
“I think that put me in a great place out there competing with the best at the highest level,” Miller said. “Of course, we were having fun competing. I think that was a great moment for me to be out there and show what I can bring to a team against top talent. It was a great opportunity.”
Miller is talented enough on the court that it’s conceivable he could make the actual Team USA squad for a future Olympics competition. Across 74 games last year (68 starts), the 6’9″ forward posted averages of 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game with a .440/.373/.827 shooting line for the 21-61 Hornets.
His full conversation with Scotto is well worth reading in full. Below are some select highlights.
On his decision to partake in a second straight Summer League:
“I think it was to feel out the new coaching staff [under first-year head coach Charles Lee] because it’s going to be a new thing for everybody this year. I wanted to see how they wanted us to play. I think it also sets the tone (as far as leadership) for the year that we have coming up.”
On the addition of high-upside young shooting guard Josh Green to the team via trade:
“I think he brings a lot of defensive energy for us. I think that’s one thing we want to focus on this year, which is locking down on the defensive side. I think our defense will lead to our offense and transition. Josh is going to help us with that and, of course, his ability to knock down open shots. I think that’ll be big for us.”
On what fans can expect out of the club across the next five seasons:
“I think Charlotte fans should expect a playoff team. I think we’re going to bring energy every game and go out there and get as many wins as we can.”
LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Grant Williams, and several other Hornets players were in attendance at Tuesday’s Summer League game alongside new president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and player enhancement coach Kemba Walker, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Summer League head coach Josh Longstaff said it “speaks volumes” to have the team’s veterans in the building “coaching up” and “cheering on” the Summer League squad, while guard Nick Smith Jr. added that it felt good to have “my big brothers (there) to support us.”
“It’s special, man,” Grant Williams said. “We are just trying to support one another, make sure we understand that team is first and team matters and really, really just committed to getting better and improving and making it a premier organization in the league.”
There are other signs of positive vibes around the organization this summer, according to Boone, who notes that co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin hosted a dinner event on Monday night in Las Vegas that included all of the Hornets’ players as well as a significant number of team personnel. Veteran big man Taj Gibson, the newest member of the roster, was among those impressed, Boone writes.
“It was really nice,” Gibson said. “To be honest with you, just meeting the ownership alone … First you see the ownership, the ownership is so welcoming. Those gentlemen, their energy is just vibrant in how they move and how they already circled and brought all the pieces together last night. It was like a family reunion, because that’s how relaxed we were. Talking, laughing, talking about what it’s going to be like. It was great, just to have that dialect.”
Gibson added that the team’s budding chemistry was on display at the event: “I’ve been to many of those dinners where every guy is over there, guys are over there. But (Monday) night, everybody was mixing. Everybody.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Bridges’ new three-year, $75MM contract with the Hornets has a descending structure, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The deal, which is fully guaranteed with no options, is worth $27,173,913 in 2024/25, exactly $25MM in ’25/26, and $22,826,087 in ’26/27.
- Gibson’s one-year, minimum-salary deal is partially guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Gibson is assured of receiving at least $1,082,270 and would lock in his full $3,303,771 salary if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee deadline of January 7.
- While the signings of Gibson and Seth Curry bring the Hornets’ roster count to 15 players on standard contracts, that number could dip to 14 soon, Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer, noting that Reggie Jackson is considered unlikely to open the regular season with the team. The expectation is that Jackson will be cut at some point to allow him to try to catch on with a team closer to contention, according to Boone.
- In a pair of exclusive interviews, Boone spoke to Hornets center Mark Williams about his efforts to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2023/24 season and to two-way player Leaky Black about his desire to earn a place on Charlotte’s standard 15-man roster.
A federal judge has denied Jontay Porter‘s request to play for for Promitheas B.C. in Greece during the 2024/25 season, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Porter, who was permanently banned from the NBA in April for violating the league’s gambling rules, pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18 and he faces the possibility of 41-51 months in prison, based on sentencing guidelines.
The former Raptor had to forfeit his passport under the conditions of his pre-sentence release. He and his lawyers had filed a motion asking to modify the terms of his release to have the passport returned to him so that he could travel to and around Europe, live in Greece, and play professional basketball in the Greek League.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate — and quickly diminishing — opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset,” Porter’s lawyer Jeff Jensen wrote. “Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again. As you may know, Mr. Porter was recently banned from the National Basketball Association.
“Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball. He left college early in 2020 to enter the NBA Draft and has not yet finished earning credits towards his college degree. Since being banned from the NBA there have been no other opportunities available to continue his basketball career. Mr. Porter has a limited window to earn an income through professional basketball during his prime earning years as a professional athlete.”
Both Jensen and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment after the motion was denied, per Vorkunov.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Nigerian center James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft, had hoped to make the leap to the NBA this offseason after playing in Spain in 2023/24, according to Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando). However, those plans changed when Nnaji underwent back surgery this spring, rendering him unavailable for Summer League play and ensuring that he’s not in the Hornets‘ short-term plans. As a result, Nnaji will remain with Barcelona for at least one more season, per Mundo Deportivo’s reporting.
- Former NBA big man Tiago Splitter has been named the new head coach of Paris Basketball, the French team announced this week (via Twitter). Splitter, who played in the league from 2010-17 (primarily for the Spurs), became an NBA assistant coach in 2019. He spent four years on Brooklyn’s staff, then was an assistant under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka in 2023/24.
- Neither Jabari Parker (Barcelona) nor Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos) exercised the NBA exit clause in his contract, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando) and BasketNews.com. With those opt-out deadlines now passed, Parker and Nunn – both former NBA players – are expected to remain with their respective teams in Europe for the 2024/25 season.
Seth Curry is returning to the Hornets on a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The signing is official, according to a Hornets press release.
Curry, who turns 34 next month, was waived by Charlotte last month before his $4MM salary for next season became guaranteed. It was noted at that time both sides were interested in exploring another contract. He’ll provide depth at the shooting guard spot.
The younger brother of Stephen Curry, Seth actually has a better career three-point percentage (43.1%) than his superstar sibling (42.6%). However, the 33-year-old – who obviously isn’t Steph’s equal as a play-maker or all-around scorer – is coming off a down year in 2023/24. He appeared in a total of 44 games for the Mavericks and Hornets, averaging just 5.1 points per game on .392/.352/.903 shooting.
The younger Curry, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in February as part of the trade package for P.J. Washington, was able to suit up for just eight games down the stretch for his hometown Hornets, as his season ended early due to a sprained ankle.
While the terms of Curry’s new contract weren’t reported, a minimum-salary agreement seems likely.
JULY 14: Bridges officially signed his deal to return to Charlotte, the Hornets announced (Twitter link).
JULY 6: The Hornets are re-signing free agent forward Miles Bridges, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN (Twitter links), Bridges’ new deal will be worth $75MM over three years and won’t include a team or player option.
After accepting his one-year, $7.9MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 69 games for the Hornets last season, posting a shooting line of .462/.349/.825. His contract gave him veto rights on any trade and he told the team in February that he intended to exercise those rights rather than approve a deal elsewhere.
While that stance was partly about not wanting to lose his Bird rights, Bridges also repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Charlotte, and that interest was reciprocated by the Hornets’ front office, led by new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. The two sides have made good on those public comments by agreeing to terms nearly a week into free agency.
Bridges’ scoring ability, size, and versatility are ideal for an NBA forward, but his market in free agency was almost certainly affected by his off-court history, which includes multiple allegations of domestic violence.
Facing three felony charges after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children, Bridges entered a plea of no contest — accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt — to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent in November 2022.
The Hornets forward received three years probation and no jail time as part of the plea deal, which led to a 30-game suspension from the NBA (he was permitted to serve just 10 games of that suspension because he spent the entire 2022/23 season out of the league while his case played out). He subsequently faced three additional criminal counts related to a separate incident, but those were dismissed this February due to insufficient evidence.
Charlotte has been keeping Bridges’ $15MM cap hold on its books during the early part of free agency. The club will use up all of its cap room on other deals before going over the cap to re-sign Bridges using his Bird rights.
8:23pm: Gibson’s signing is official, the Hornets announced in a press release.
9:51am: The Hornets intend to sign veteran big man Taj Gibson to a one-year, $3.3MM contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Based on the reported terms, Gibson will receive the veteran’s minimum for a player with 10+ years of experience ($3,303,771), while Charlotte will carry a $2,087,519 cap hit.
The 26th pick of the 2009 draft, Gibson has spent the past 15 seasons in the NBA. He had a long stint with Chicago to open his career before playing for Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New York (twice), Washington and Detroit. He finished the 2023/24 season with the Pistons.
Gibson, 39, is no longer a top-tier reserve or a starter like he was in his prime, but he’s still highly valued for his locker-room presence, professionalism and leadership.
Charlotte has a new front office led by head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and a new head coach in Charles Lee. The team has repeatedly mentioned work ethic as a point of emphasis this offseason, which is something Gibson is known for.
The 6’9″ forward/center holds career averages of 8.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 965 regular season games, including 450 starts (23.5 MPG).
The NBA has announced the five-team groups for this year’s in-season tournament, now renamed the Emirates NBA Cup, the league announced in a release on Friday (Twitter link).
Like last year, there are six groups — three each from the Western Conference and Eastern Conference — and each conference was split into five groups based on last year’s standings. One team was selected at random from each group to determine the group round matchups.
The results are:
- West Group A: Timberwolves, Clippers, Kings, Rockets and Trail Blazers
- West Group B: Thunder, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and Spurs
- West Group C: Nuggets, Mavericks, Pelicans, Warriors and Grizzlies
- East Group A: Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Nets and Hornets
- East Group B: Bucks, Pacers, Heat, Raptors and Pistons
- East Group C: Celtics, Cavaliers, Bulls, Hawks and Wizards
The NBA Cup begins with group play, which runs from Nov. 12 to Dec. 3. Each team plays one game against each of the four opponents in its group. The NBA released a matchup matrix to help fans follow along (Twitter link).
Just like last season, the winner of each group advances to a knockout round alongside the team with the best record in each conference that didn’t win a group. The semifinals and finals will again be played in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Last year, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament over the Pacers. LeBron James was named the tournament MVP after dropping 24 points in the title game.
The full game and broadcast schedule for group play will be announced next month.
Australian swingman Josh Green told Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he was asleep when his agents phoned him around 3:00 am to inform him he was being traded to the Hornets.
The 23-year-old, who is on the Australian national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics, was sent to Charlotte from Dallas in the six-team mega-deal that saw Klay Thompson land with the Mavs. He says he’s “super excited” for a fresh start.
“It’s such a young team and they play at a fast pace,” Green said, “and I think I’m able to thrive in transition, being able to pick up the ball and play defense and just continue to grow my game. I’m still a young guy and it gets fun to be around older guys in Dallas and learn from them, and take that to Charlotte and just come in with a winning mindset, and, yeah, be ready to go.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Boone also recently spoke to the Hornets‘ 2024 draft picks, Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42). French forward Salaun, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, says he didn’t watch the NBA growing up as he didn’t think he’d make it to the league. He says being a lottery pick is a surreal experience. “Yeah, it’s weird. Yes.” Salaun told Boone. “For sure because before I became a professional I was in (France) with my teammates, some guys we go to school every day without crowds. And now I have some fans … just all of this is crazy. Just to have a practice facility … I have a practice facility that’s different than the arena. Everything, everything. The weight room. They have many things to be the best possible and in shape.” Simpson, meanwhile is nursing a hamstring strain that will sideline him for all of Las Vegas Summer League, but he’s still actively involved on the sidelines, encouraging teammates and analyzing film. The 6’0″ guard, who is on a two-way contract, says he wants to hone his decision-making and defensive skills, according to Boone.
- Hawks GM Landry Fields says it was a tough choice to trade Dejounte Murray, but ultimately it was a necessary one, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was a hard decision,” Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business. Dejounte is a fantastic player. … But we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.” Fields also acknowledged Atlanta is facing a “roster crunch” after acquiring four players for one in the deal. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts now that Vit Krejci‘s four-year deal is official, plus Bruno Fernando on a non-guaranteed contract with a early guarantee date of August 1.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Orlando Sentinel, Jason Beede lists five things to watch for the Magic heading into Las Vegas Summer League, including second-year guard Anthony Black‘s growth as a leader. As Beede writes, Orlando’s Summer League squad features recent first-rounders in Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva, plus a handful of former NBA veterans trying to make it back in the league (such as Jarrett Culver and Theo Maledon).
Nick Smith Jr., a first-round pick in 2023, is hoping to carve out consistent rotation minutes in 2024/25 under new Hornets head coach Charles Lee, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
The 20-year-old appeared in 51 games as a rookie last season, averaging 5.9 RPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.2 APG on .391/.432/.867 shooting in 14.3 MPG. He pointed to solid defense as his path to regular playing time.
“That’s what’s going to get you on the court,” Smith said. “I’m a guard, small guard, at that for the NBA. I’m 6-3 and have a long wingspan, but I’ve got to be able to guard the best guards in the country, and the best guards in the NBA, and the best wings at times. And I want my team to count on me to get those stops, because I want that challenge.
“And I’m pretty sure everybody knows I want that challenge, too. So, it’s just repping it each and every day, especially coming out here and just not taking any games lightly, it’s playing with the team. The team understands that winning comes first, defense comes first and Coach Lee has definitely preached that.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- First-year head coach Lee is drawing rave reviews from his players even though he’s only been around the team for a handful of weeks, according to Boone. Lee decided to lead the summer league squad after finishing out last season as an assistant for the title-winning Celtics. “No. 1, I’m so excited to be part of this Hornets organization and also love the game, love to coach,” Lee told The Observer. “And I feel like I’ve been away from the guys as I went on that playoff run. And now’s my opportunity to start building with them, start learning some terminology, learning the players and also just create an environment of, ‘We’re all going to get down to work like nobody’s above anything.’ And so I was just ready to hit the ground running.”
- The Hornets have been very active this offseason, making changes to the back end of the roster and agreeing to re-sign Miles Bridges to a three-year, $75MM contract. Those series of moves suggest that new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and new co-owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall are focused on improving the team’s talent pool rather than going with the status quo, Boone writes for The Observer.
- Rookie guard KJ Simpson, the 42nd overall pick of last month’s draft, signed a two-way contract that covers two seasons, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). A two-time All-Pac-12 honoree during his three-season stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, the 6’0″ Simpson averaged 19.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in ’23/24.