By July 22, 2024
Photo: Nell Redmond / AP
The draft, free agency, and now Summer League have come and gone, and following a transformative offseason, the dust has all but settled for the Hornets.
With all spots on the 15-man roster filled and one open two-way slot, the Hornets only have a couple of finishing touches remaining before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. A transaction involving Reggie Jackson– who was acquired in a six-team trade along with Josh Green and two second-round picks from Denver– will likely be the final move, whether that’s waiving or trading the 34-year-old veteran.
Amari Bailey was waived prior to Summer League, 2024 second-round pick KJ Simpson inked a two-way contract, and Leaky Black remains on the two-year deal he signed prior to last season. Perhaps a big man that stood out on the Summer League squad– Mohamadou Gueye, James Banks III or Jake Stephens– could earn the third and final two-way slot.
The Hornets also cleared the books by waiving Davis Bertāns, Aleksej Pokuševski and Bryce McGowens, opening three roster spots for the flurry of trades that brought Jackson, Josh Green, and multiple second-round picks to Charlotte. Since the draft concluded, Jeff Peterson and his front office staff re-signed Miles Bridges and supplemented a young Hornets roster with a pair of veterans.
Bridges agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that there were no player or team options in the fully guaranteed deal. Bridges, who was suspended for all of 2022-23 and the first 10 games of last season, played out the year on a qualifying offer before hitting unrestricted free agency. The new deal is structured to decline in yearly value, meaning Bridges makes more money per year at the start of the contract than at the end, which increases Charlotte’s financial flexibility as LaMelo Ball’s max contract kicks in and Brandon Miller becomes eligible for his own max deal over the next couple of seasons.
The Hornets signed veteran center Taj Gibson to a one-year, $3.3 million contract. The 39-year-old is the fourth-oldest player in the NBA behind LeBron James, PJ Tucker and Chris Paul, and will don the purple and teal for his 16th NBA season. Gibson split last season between New York and Detroit, appearing in 20 games total.
To round out the 15-man roster, the Hornets re-signed Seth Curry after he was waived off a non-guaranteed deal to maximize cap flexibility in late June. The son of Hornets legend Dell Curry, was originally acquired by Charlotte at last season’s trade deadline, and will provide a steady veteran presence in the locker room alongside Gibson. Peterson and head coach Charles Lee, both in leadership positions for the first time in their young careers, have a pair of seasoned veterans to lean on– both on and off the court.
Here’s a look at the depth chart as things stand post-Summer League:
Point guard: LaMelo Ball, Vasilije Micić, KJ Simpson (two-way)
Shooting guard: Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, Seth Curry, Nick Smith Jr.
Small forward: Josh Green, Cody Martin, Leaky Black (two-way)
Power forward: Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaün
Center: Mark Williams, Nick Richards, Taj Gibson
The Hornets currently have a ton of guard depth, but need to bolster the wing and forward spots– especially if Salaün spends any time in the G League as a rookie, and health issues continue to plague Mark Williams and Cody Martin. If Jackson is moved, it would make sense to replace him with a frontcourt player, and the third two-way slot will likely go to a big.
Regardless, all that remains is the end-of-roster minutiae. Peterson and Lee have said and done all the right things so far, and the first steps have been taken; securing the core already in place (Ball, Miller, Williams and Bridges) with role players that impact both ends of the court. Green is the rangy point-of-attack defender that can spell Ball and allow him to roam and utilize his otherworldly basketball IQ to collect steals as a help defender. Grant Williams and Tre Mann help space the floor, Micić relieves Ball with a similar brand of flair and creativity, and an athletic 3-and-D forward in Salaün is being developed. There’ll be 48 minutes of quality center play from 7-footers Williams and Richards. Assuming good health, Peterson has constructed an ideal nucleus to capitalize off Miller’s stellar rookie season and Ball’s All-Star potential.
With just a little over two months left before training camp opens, it won’t be long before the new regime’s vision for Charlotte Hornets basketball will be on full display.
Read next:
