Charlotte Hornets Rumors

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Jovic, Knueppel, Miller

December 15th, 2025 at 12:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An MRI conducted on Monday confirmed that Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a left hip contusion during Saturday’s NBA Cup game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets. His return will depend on how he responds to treatment.

Suggs had 26 points and seven assists in 29 minutes on Saturday. The fifth-year guard, who suffered the injury while driving to the basket during the third quarter, is averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. Tyus Jones, Anthony Black and Jett Howard could all see an uptick in minutes during his absence.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Nikola Jovic signed a four-year extension in October. The Heat forward has financial security but not a spot in the rotation — he has been a healthy scratch in five of the last nine games in which he was available. He’s also logging fewer minutes when he does play (19.3 MPG, compared with 25.1 last season), the Miami Herald’s duo of Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson note. Jovic admits it’s a frustrating situation. “The way my minutes fall is really sad. I’m not trying to think about what they’re thinking because I know it’s hard for them, too. I’m just trying to stay positive and help these guys develop,” he said.
The Hornets don’t feel pressed to make any major trades despite their 8-18 record, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In an appearance on the YES Network (Twitter video link via Hornets Reddit), Scotto said that Kon Knueppel “has essentially become the face of the franchise” as a rookie. “They still want to see what it looks like with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges,” Scotto said. “They think if they’re healthy, they could be a play-in team.”
Miller briefly departed the Hornets’ game against Cleveland on Sunday due to an apparent shoulder injury, then returned and hit a key three-pointer late in regulation. Charlotte pulled out an overtime victory against one of the East’s premier clubs. “It was a huge growth moment for us,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Responding, we felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds, especially as they kind of got back into the game. And then I thought we had multiple people hitting and crashing, and trying to come up with every 50-50-ball and defensive rebound that we could. “And to see Brandon with 13 rebounds just shows he can give it to us on both ends. He’s an offensive great, but he can be an elite two-way player. And it becomes contagious when you see one of our best players doing that.”

And-Ones: Undervalued Players, Calf Strains, Beverley, Morris

December 14th, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Rory Maher

John Hollinger of The Athletic lists seven “undervalued” players from around the NBA who are making an outsized impact relative to their contracts. The seven players are specifically “hard-playing, unheralded guys with a little bit of extra edge to them,” as Hollinger puts it.

Raptors backup point guard Jamal Shead is the first player listed, which isn’t surprising. As Hollinger writes, Shead made an immediate impact as a rookie due to his strong defense, but his offensive improvements in year two have made him a key part of Toronto’s rotation.

While the 23-year-old’s shooting is still a “work in progress,” he is processing the game at a higher level in 2025/26.

“Just going left and making reads,” Shead said of his offseason improvement. “It’s not always about scoring, it’s about if they’re trying to push me left or right in the ball screen, can I still make the read out of that? I’m understanding the pace of the game and how to really create for my teammates. … Impacting defense is what I’m going to do regardless, but I’m impacting offense this year a lot more too.”

Suns guard Jordan Goodwin, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, and Hornets center Moussa Diabate are among the other players highlighted by Hollinger.

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

In an interesting and in-depth story for Yahoo Sports, Tom Haberstroh takes a look at the increase in players missing time with calf strains this season. While there are two very famous examples (Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton) of players with calf injuries later tearing their Achilles tendon, those cases have been the exception and not the rule. “The interesting thing is, historically, a calf strain is thought of as this completely separate injury from an Achilles tear,” said Dr. Scott Ellis of the Hospital of Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. “When you have somebody with an Achilles rupture, nine times out of 10 — actually, even more, 99% of the time — they don’t have anything that you could pick up structurally in an imaging exam on their Achilles.”
Longtime NBA guard Patrick Beverley, who spent last season in Israel, has reached a contract agreement with the Greek club PAOK, reports Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net. According to Miloradovic, Beverley is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki — where the team is based — on Saturday evening to finalize the deal, which is pending a physical. Beverley, whose last NBA stint was with Milwaukee in 2023/24, was arrested last month in Texas and charged with assault of a family/household member. TMZ reported that Beverley was accused of punching his sister in the eye and choking her for between 20 and 30 seconds.
Veteran NBA guard Monte Morris, who spent time with the Pacers earlier this season, officially signed with the Greek EuroLeague team Olympiacos last week. Eurohoops.net passes along some highlights from Morris’ introductory press conference.

Stein’s Latest: Mavs, Davis, Bulls, Kuminga, CP3, Pelicans

December 12th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has begun gathering information on possible candidates to run the team’s front office on a permanent basis following last month’s ouster of Nico Harrison, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

However, according to Stein, Dumont is in no rush to complete that search process and is content with the idea of taking a committee approach for the rest of the regular season. While Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are the team’s co-interim general managers, minority owner Mark Cuban, head coach Jason Kidd, and Dumont himself are also providing input on front office decisions, with Dumont having become “far more involved” since Harrison’s dismissal, per Stein.

One major decision facing that committee prior to this season’s trade deadline is whether or not to trade star big man Anthony Davis. Stein hears from sources that a Davis deal isn’t a foregone conclusion by any means. As Stein explains, the Mavs recognize that last season’s Luka Doncic blockbuster can’t be undone, so the team doesn’t want to just accept the best offer on the table for Davis. Accepting a subpar return for him would risk simply “compounding mistakes already made,” Stein writes.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest NBA round-up:

The Bulls don’t appear to have any real interest in Davis, but they remain a team to watch for Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Stein says. As Stein notes, Chicago has conveyed some interest in Kuminga in the past, bringing him in past discussions involving Alex Caruso and other players.
The Hornets were among the teams with interest in Chris Paul during the offseason, but the veteran point guard wasn’t interested in playing so far away from his family in Los Angeles. According to Stein, Charlotte is no longer expected to pursue Paul at this time, but CP3 is believed to be more open-minded about destinations further removed from L.A. Paul, who remains under contract with the Clippers for now, will become trade-eligible on Monday.
Rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are now viewed as the most untouchable players on the Pelicans‘ roster, Stein writes. That designation used to belong to Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones — while New Orleans may be more open to listen on those players now, the team’s asking price for Murphy and Jones is still “extremely” high, according to Stein, who notes that the Pelicans are essentially discouraging inquiries based on the return they’re seeking.

Hornets Guard Josh Green Could Make Season Debut On Friday

December 11th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets guard Josh Green could make his season debut on Friday. He’s not listed on the team’s injury report for its game against the Bulls, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets.

Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June and has been rehabbing the injury since the procedure. Green was unable to participate in training camp but has made steady progress. He was assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, last week to get additional practice time.

Green is in the second season of a three-year, $41MM contract. He appeared in 68 games with Charlotte in 2024/25, all but one as a starter, and averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 27.8 minutes per contest.

Green, who spent his first four seasons with Dallas, will boost a backcourt that has been thinned by injuries. LaMelo Ball (left ankle bone bruise), Tre Mann (right knee bone bruise) and Collin Sexton (left quad strain) are listed as out for Friday’s game (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: Risacher, Whitmore, Herro, Knueppel, Salaun

December 11th, 2025 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After a promising first NBA season in which he placed second in Rookie of the Year voting, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher has seen his numbers drop off a little this fall. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick is averaging 11.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game with a .453/.296/.677 shooting line through 22 outings after putting up 12.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .458/.355/.711 shooting as a rookie.

As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (subscription required), Risacher, who has battled through a couple injuries during the first couple months of the season, believes he’s developing positive habits despite the statistical dip, and his coaches and teammates are optimistic that better results are coming.

“He’s working really hard and for guys like him, that’s gonna turn around sooner or later,” Hawks guard/forward Vit Krejci said. “I think about the law of percentages, you know, I think we talked about it last year where the first part I was shooting 19% and then it turned around. And he’s good. I’m sure, if you’re consistent with your work, you’re obviously going to go through ups and downs, but I think he’s been handling very well. Just keep working and keep your confidence up.”

We have more from across the Southeast:

After suggesting over the weekend that Cam Whitmore didn’t play on Saturday because he failed to live up to “certain standards” the Wizards expect of him, head coach Brian Keefe has since walked back that message, according to Quinn Allen of RG.org. A team spokesperson told Allen that Whitmore’s DNP-CD on Saturday wasn’t disciplinary, while Keefe said during a Wednesday radio appearance that Whitmore “didn’t do anything wrong” and that the team simply wanted to “give some other guys a chance” in the rotation.
The Heat have lost four straight games and five of their last six, but reintegrating Tyler Herro following his left ankle injury hasn’t been the primary issue during that stretch, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang notes, Herro’s role has been under a microscope since Miami had so much success early in the season with a new-look, uptempo offense that has slowed down a little since Herro’s return. However, the team has a +3.6 net rating during his time on the court so far, Chiang writes, including a +13.0 mark when he and Norman Powell play together.
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel tops a list from Zach Harper of The Athletic of this season’s top 10 rookies so far, maintaining an edge over his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg. As Harper writes, besides leading all rookies in scoring, Knueppel has been the top shooter in the class, has produced consistently, and has been a solid rebounder and play-maker too. Hornets big man Ryan Kalkbrenner also makes Harper’s list, coming in at No. 8.
Knueppel has outperformed the Hornets‘ 2024 lottery pick, Tidjane Salaun, so far this season, but Salaun may be turning a corner after spending nearly the entire month of November in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The second-year forward scored a career-high 21 points in 22 minutes last Friday in Toronto. “I have loved the mindset that Tidjane has come back with from his Greensboro stint,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I have seen him embrace his role even more than he did earlier in the year, which I think is great. I think he’s gotten a little bit more confidence in what that role looks like. I think he’s gotten a little bit more comfortable after getting extended minutes.”

Terry Rozier Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Gambling Charges

December 8th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty to two federal charges related to illegal sports betting on Monday in Brooklyn federal court, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

Rozier, who was arraigned alongside friend and alleged co-conspirator Deniro Laster, was released on $3MM bond secured using his Florida home, Vorkunov adds.

Rozier was arrested on October 23 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors allege the 31-year-old combo guard tipped off Laster that he would remove himself from a game in March 2023 when he was a member of the Hornets. The indictment states Laster then sold that information to two bettors for approximately $100K.

A former first-round pick (16th overall in the 2015 draft), Rozier is earning about $26.6MM this season in the final year of his contract. Both he and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups — who was arrested in a separate but related illegal gambling case — were placed on immediate leave and aren’t being paid. Rozier’s withheld salary is in an interest-bearing account.

Word broke back in January that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating Rozier as part of a probe into illegal sports betting. Investigators were specifically looking at a game that took place on March 23, 2023.

Ahead of that game, one bettor reportedly placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on the “unders” on Rozier-related prop bets at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. At the same time, there was a rush on multiple sportsbooks in New Orleans of under bets on Rozier props. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.

After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue. All 30 of those “under” prop bets won as a result of the abbreviated outing, and Rozier didn’t play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.

A source tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald that the Heat still haven’t learned from the NBA whether or not they can use Rozier’s salary in a trade or potentially waive him before his salary becomes fully guaranteed in January; about $1.7MM of Rozier’s salary this season is non-guaranteed. While that sum might seem fairly trivial compared to the overall figure, removing it from the team’s books would give Miami extra flexibility below the luxury tax threshold, Chiang writes.

Break Comes At A Fortunate Time For Hornets

December 8th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

A five-day break comes at a good time for the Hornets, who were down to 11 healthy players in Sunday’s loss to Denver, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann and Moussa Diabate were all sidelined by injuries, along with Grant Williams and Josh Green, who haven’t played yet this season. “It’s going to be great for us,” Miles Bridges said of the time off. “Some guys are hurt right now. They should be back by that time hopefully. But if not, we’re going to have a next-up-mentality, next man.”

Southeast Notes: Heat, Herro, Whitmore, Diabate

December 7th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat‘s 127-111 loss to the Kings on Saturday extended their losing streak to three games, with a growing injury report catching up to them in Sacramento, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson all missed the game for Miami.

“We didn’t have a lot of juice on either end of the floor,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra.

As Chiang observes, the injuries forced the Heat to play their 10th different starting lineup through 24 games. Also of note was that Spoelstra went away from Kel’el Ware in the second half, choosing instead to start the third quarter with Jaime Jaquez Jr.

“Just looking for some juice, looking for something to kick-start just some energy,” Spoelstra explained. “It didn’t really work out that way. But I don’t know necessarily what would have. It wasn’t an indictment on Kel’el.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

The good news for the Heat this weekend was that an MRI on Herro’s injured toe showed a simple contusion, which is not expected to be a long-lasting issue. “I just was going to wait until we found out what the deal was,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang, when asked if he had been worried about the test. “I try not to stress out about the things that you don’t know about or can’t control.”
Cam Whitmore didn’t play in the Wizards‘ game on Saturday, which coach Brian Keefe indicated was due to disciplinary issues. Varun Shankar of Post Sports broke down Whitmore’s play late in the previous game against the Celtics (Twitter video link), citing Whitmore’s lack of defensive effort and intensity on multiple plays. Shankar notes (via Twitter) that while the Wizards are tanking this season, they have put an emphasis on playing with the proper process.
The Hornets announced, via Twitter, that Moussa Diabate was downgraded to out with right knee soreness for the team’s game against the Nuggets on Sunday. He joined a long list of Charlotte players on the injury report, including LaMelo Ball, Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Collin Sexton, and Grant Williams. Given the physical and mental toll of playing seven games in 12 days while shorthanded, maybe no team in the league is as ready for the upcoming five-day break as the Hornets, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Just use the five days and just focus on the right things,” said Brandon Miller. “Just come back with the mindset of just dominating and then we’ll be fine with that.”

LaMelo Ball Declared Out For Sunday

December 6th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has been diagnosed with a bone bruise on his left ankle that will force him to miss Sunday’s matchup against Denver, relays Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Ball was unable to finish Friday’s game due to soreness in the ankle.

McNeeley Staying Upbeat Amid Inconsistent Minutes

December 6th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Late first-rounder Liam McNeeley has received inconsistent playing time for the Hornets in his rookie season, but he’s thrilled he was able to fulfill his longtime goal of reaching the NBA and has remained a positive presence on the team throughout 2025/26. “I’m having the time of my life right now,” McNeeley said with a huge grin on his face, per Sam Perley of Hornets.com. “I can’t complain. It’s so cool getting to live out the dream. It’s even better than I thought it was going to be growing up. It’s everything I could have imagined and more. It’s something that I dreamt about as a kid and now I get to live it out. I really can’t say enough good things about it.”