2015/16 Roster Counts: Charlotte Hornets
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Hornets’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Charlotte’s roster.
(Last Updated 3-11-16, 12:45pm)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Nicolas Batum(G/F) — 6’8″/26 years old. Acquired via trade with Trail Blazers.
- Troy Daniels (G) — 6’4″/23 years old. Acquired via trade with Timberwolves.
- Jorge Gutierrez (G) — 6’3″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
- Tyler Hansbrough (F) — 6’9″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
- Aaron Harrison (G) — 6’6″/20 years old. Free agent signing.
- Spencer Hawes (C) — 7’1″/27 years old. Acquired via trade with Clippers.
- Al Jefferson (C) — 6’10″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Frank Kaminsky (F/C) — 7’0″/22 years old. Drafted with No. 9 overall pick in 2015.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (F) — 6’7″/21 years old. Drafted with No. 2 overall pick in 2012.
- Jeremy Lamb (G) — 6’5″/23 years old. Acquired via trade with Thunder.
- Courtney Lee (G) — 6’5″/29 years old. Acquired via trade with Grizzlies.
- Jeremy Lin (G) — 6’3″/26 years old. Free agent signing.
- Kemba Walker (G) — 6’1″/25 years old. Drafted with No. 9 overall pick in 2011.
- Marvin Williams (F) — 6’9″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
- Cody Zeller (F/C) — 7’0″/22 years old. Drafted with No. 4 overall pick in 2013.
10-Day Contracts (1)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)
Draft Notes: Mudiay, T’Wolves, Rozier
The T’Wolves have convinced Emmanuel Mudiay that he is in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Mudiay has workouts scheduled with the Lakers (Saturday), the Timberwolves (June 20th or possibly sooner), and Marc Berman of the New York Post adds the Knicks (Monday) to the list. Recently, SMU coach Larry Brown said that Mudiay will audition for the Sixers as well, rounding out the top four. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..
- Louisville guard Terry Rozier has an upcoming workout scheduled with the Hornets, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Rozier, 21, is currently ranked No. 50 by DraftExpress and No. 27 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn will work out for the Suns today and has auditions scheduled with the Bulls and Wizards, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
- The Suns will bring in UNLV’s Christian Wood as a part of a group workout today, league sources tell Scotto (on Twitter).
- Want to familiarize yourself with some of the most interesting prospects in this year’s class? Check out the entries in the Hoops Rumors NBA Draft Prospect Q&A Series! Over the last month, Hoops Rumors has spoken with Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, Richaun Holmes, and many more notable names.
Eastern Notes: Bosh, Celtics, Hornets
The Heat had two players who are coming off of surgery resume basketball activities today, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. Forward Chris Bosh participated in court work for the first time since being sidelined since the All-Star break due to blood clots on his lung, working out today with members of the team’s coaching staff, Winderman notes. Also getting back on the court for Miami was guard Mario Chalmers, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee just four days ago, the Sentinel scribe relays.
Here’s more from the East:
- The Celtics held workouts today for Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Terry Rozier (Louisville), Josh Richardson (Tennessee), and Corey Walden (Eastern Kentucky), Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link).
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Former Temple point guard Will Cummings will work out for the Sixers on Wednesday, Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “It’s definitely been a great opportunity for me to get the chance to work out for these NBA teams,” Cummings said. The guard also has workouts scheduled with the Suns and Nets, Narducci adds.
- The Hornets will hold workouts on Wednesday for Kendall Gray (Delaware State), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), James Sinclair (Western Carolina), J.J. O’Brien (San Diego State), Antonio Robinson (East Carolina), and Ralston Turner (North Carolina State), the team announced.
- Working out for the Wizards today were Dallin Bachynski (Utah), Cummings, Amere May (Delaware State), Jaleel Roberts (UNC Asheville), Marcus Thornton (William and Mary), and D-Leaguer Jarvis Threatt, the team announced.
Offseason Outlook: Charlotte Hornets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Kemba Walker ($12,000,000)
- Lance Stephenson ($9,000,000)
- Marvin Williams ($7,000,000)
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($6,331,404)
- Cody Zeller ($4,204,200)
- Brian Roberts ($2,854,940)
- Noah Vonleh ($2,637,720)
- P.J. Hairston ($1,201,440)
- Troy Daniels ($947,276)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- None
Options
- Al Jefferson ($13,500,000 — Player)
- Gerald Henderson ($6,000,000 — Player)
Restricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Bismack Biyombo ($9,683,495) — $4,045,894 qualifying offer
- Jeff Taylor ($1,181,348) — $1,181,348 qualifying offer1
Unrestricted Free Agents/Cap Holds
- Mo Williams ($4,758,089)
- No. 9 pick ($2,177,100)
- Jason Maxiell ($947,276)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (9th overall)
- 2nd Round (39th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $46,176,980
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $0
- Options: $19,500,000
- Cap Holds: $18,747,308
- Total: $84,424,288
The Hornets could blame their lack of progress during the past season on injuries that ravaged their starting lineup. They appeared to be on the upswing after making the 2013/14 playoffs with a mostly young core but couldn’t build off of that momentum. Kemba Walker sat out 20 games in midseason because of knee surgery and their entire starting frontcourt — Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — missed significant chunks of time during the stretch run with a variety of ailments.
They head into this offseason mostly hoping that better health and improved performances from current players will get them back in the playoff hunt. That’s because the Hornets do not have the salary cap space or movable pieces to cure their ailments, literally and figuratively.
Charlotte’s offseason plan will be shaped by the decisions of starters Jefferson and Gerald Henderson, who hold player options on the final year of their contracts. Jefferson has a $13.5MM option and Henderson can make $6MM by sticking around. They both indicated right after the Hornets’ disappointing season ended that they’d probably take the guaranteed money, rather than enter the free agent market. If that’s the case, the Hornets will have rely on their exceptions to bring in a veteran without making a trade.
They would have the mid-level ($5.464MM) and bi-annual (approximately $2.1MM) exceptions at their disposal but that obviously would not be enough to chase a top-level free agent. If Jefferson decided to hit the free agent market this summer, that would free up enough money to go after a major free agent. The flip side is that would create a giant hole in the middle, leaving them without their main post threat and top rebounder.
Another order of business is what to do with Jefferson’s backup, Bismack Biyombo. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 draft hasn’t come close to developing into the impact player the Hornets were expecting. That’s why the Hornets are not expected to extend the qualifying offer of just over $4MM to make him a restricted free agent. If that’s the case, Biyombo will be free to test the free agent waters and end his uninspiring four-year run with the franchise.
The other major free agent decision from within is whether to pursue a contract with veteran guard Mo Williams, who helped them survive the 20-game stretch when Walker was sidelined. Williams averaged 17.2 points and 6.0 assists in 27 games after the Hornets acquired him from the Timberwolves. The 32-year-old unrestricted free agent is probably looking at his last chance to land a multi-year contract. Whether Williams would be content to back up Walker, who is locked up long-term at $12MM annually, is uncertain.
What is painfully obvious is the Hornets’ desperate need for shooting. They were one of the league’s worst in that area last season. Their shooting percentages dropped off dramatically, from 44.8% overall and 36.5% on 3-point tries in 2013/14 to 42.0% and 31.8%, respectively, in 2014/15. Part of that can be attributed to the ill-advised signing of Lance Stephenson, who was a bust in his first year with the club. Stephenson shot 37.6% from the field and 17.1% from long range while eventually falling out of the rotation. Stephenson will make $9MM next season, leaving the franchise with little choice but to hope he can regain his confidence and become the productive player he was in Indiana. For his part, Stephenson vowed to spend the offseason working with the Hornets coaches on his shooting stroke.
Another player on the current roster that needs to give the Hornets more next season is forward Noah Vonleh. The Hornets used the 2014 lottery pick they received from the Pistons as part of the 2012 Ben Gordon deal on the 6’10” Vonleh, who mostly rode the bench until the frontcourt injuries forced coach Steve Clifford to give him some playing time in the final month. The No. 9 overall pick showed some flashes — he had a 16-point, 12-rebound game against the Pistons — and the Hornets need him to emerge as a rotation player, especially with the expected loss of Biyombo.
One place where the Hornets could find more shooting is the draft. They once again hold the No. 9 pick and should be able to find a wing player to suit their needs. ESPN Insider Chad Ford projects the Hornets to select Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker in his latest mock draft, while DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony currently projects them selecting Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson. Booker would appear to be an ideal fit, given that the Hornets are committed to giving the bulk of their small forward minutes to defensive stalwart Kidd-Gilchrist. He’s considered the best pure shooter in the draft and the Hornets are “big fans” of the 6’6” Booker, according to Ford, though Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel hears that Booker isn’t what Charlotte is looking for with its pick.
Regardless, Charlotte needs to find a solid piece in this draft because it’s a leap of faith to believe it can upgrade its talent with a trade. The Hornets could have a number of significant expiring contracts to dangle, especially if Jefferson and Henderson opt in. Stephenson’s contract could eventually hold some value — there’s a team option of about $9.4MM for the 2016/17 season that will unlikely be exercised. Marvin Williams is also entering the final year of his deal, which will pay him $7MM next season. But with the major salary cap increase coming next summer, expiring contracts are not as valuable as they used to be when teams were desperate to free up space.
Thus, the Hornets will probably have to make do with what they have, draft wisely and find help with their mid-level exception to overcome last season’s sour ending.
Cap Footnotes
1 — The cap hold for Taylor would be $947,276 if the Hornets elect not to tender a qualifying offer.
The Basketball Insiders Salary Pages were used in the creation of this post.
Heat Notes: Wade, Chalmers, Draft
Dwyane Wade doesn’t intend to leave the Heat, cautions Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), but the contract squabble that apparently has him at least open to the idea will test the bond that has held Wade and the Heat together for 12 years, as fellow Herald scribe Dan Le Batard writes. Wade has subjugated his financial position multiple times over his time with the Heat, having never been the team’s highest player, as Le Batard points out, but it looks like he wants to recoup some of that sacrifice this summer. Here’s more on Wade and Miami:
- The Heat would love to end up with Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson or Croatian swingman Mario Hezonja with the 10th overall pick in the draft, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel makes clear. In any case, there’s a decent chance Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker will be available to Miami at that selection, as Winderman hears the Hornets would like to end up with more out of the No. 9 pick than Booker could provide.
- Wade’s willingness to take a stand is symbolic of the union’s shift toward a more star-friendly strategy in which it appears poised to pursue collective bargaining agreement terms that will better suit the upper class of NBA players, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller observes. That could come at the expense of the rest of union membership, and the dynamic threatens to weaken the players association, Ziller argues.
- That Wade might find himself only the fourth most highly paid member of the Heat by the 2016/17 season, behind Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, has to eat at the 11-time All-Star shooting guard, Winderman believes.
- Longtime starter Mario Chalmers figures to play a backup role if Dragic returns, but there’s little value for the Heat in trading Chalmers now, as Winderman posits in the same piece.
Western Draft Notes: Towns, Grant, Jazz
Karl-Anthony Towns will interview with the Wolves and the Lakers, but won’t work out for any teams, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports. The big man would relish the opportunity to play in Minnesota. “It would be a blessing and an honor to even have a chance to play for Minnesota and be able to have the chance to play for a great organization and learn from a great mentor like Kevin Garnett,” Towns said.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Jerian Grant, whom I profiled earlier today, will work out for the Raptors, Heat, Hornets, Nuggets and Wizards according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Grant previously worked out for the Pacers, Suns, Thunder and Rockets.
- The Suns are looking for play-makers off their bench and Grant may be a good candidate for the No. 13 pick, Coro opines in the same piece. “We’re looking at the guys who could possibly be backup point guards,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “The more guys we can get on this team, whether it’s point guard, off-guard, three-man, center, forward, whatever it is — that bring intelligence to the game can only help us.”
- The Jazz own the No. 12 selection in the draft and Kincade Upstill of the Deseret News wonders if the team should trade its pick. Upstill examines some hypothetical trades involving the team’s first-rounder, including an intriguing swap with the Clippers that involves sending J.J. Redick to the Jazz for Trey Burke and the No. 12 pick.
Eastern Notes: Curry, Celtics, Perkins
The Hornets announced today that former player and current broadcaster Dell Curry has expanded his role with the organization, becoming a team Ambassador and Special Projects Advisor. Curry will serve as an ambassador for the team at events related to both basketball and business operations, such as community programs, charity outings, speaking engagements and fundraising galas. “We are pleased that Dell has agreed to expand his role with our organization,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & COO Fred Whitfield. “Dell’s name is synonymous with the words ‘Charlotte Hornets.’ Our fans know him well from both his history as a player and his six seasons as our TV analyst. We are excited that he will be strengthening his relationship with our franchise.”
Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics held workouts today for David Kravish (California), Cliff Alexander (Kansas), Chasson Randle (Stanford), George Lucas (Brazil), Maxie Esho (UMass), and Satnam Singh (IMG Academy), Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (via Twitter).
- Kendrick Perkins had a choice to sign with either the Clippers or the Cavaliers after parting ways with the Jazz at midseason via a buyout arrangement, and the big man is thrilled that he ultimately decided on Cleveland, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media writes. “Just to come and have a chance to win a title is beautiful,” Perkins told Haynes. “Anytime you have that chance to make it to The Finals, you’re definitely a championship-type team. … We’re proving it every night.“
- The Nets have three sets of workouts scheduled for next week, the team announced. The group on Monday will consist of Terry Rozier (Louisville), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Treveon Graham (VCU), Aaron Thomas (FSU), Mike Myers (MD-Eastern Shore), and Kendall Gray (Delaware State). Tuesday’s crop will consist of Phil Greene (St. John’s), Darrick Marks (Boise State), Darrun Hilliard (Villanova), Greg Whittington (Georgetown), Aaron White (Iowa), and David Laury (Iona). And on Wednesday the team will work out Jarvis Summers (Mississippi), Quinn Cook (Duke), Jesse Morgan (Temple), J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina), Jonathan Holmes (Texas), and JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova).
Draft Notes: Spurs, Grizzlies, Payne
Hoops Rumors has a full log of 2015 draft news that you can see anytime at the link here. You can also set that page up as an RSS feed to receive constant updates. All you’d need to do would be to add /feed to the url, like so: hoopsrumors.com/2015-nba-draft/feed. Other draft-related resources include our latest Mock Draft, the full list of early entrants, as well as our ongoing Prospect Profile series. Here’s more news regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:
- League sources have suggested to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) that Murray State guard Cameron Payne has a draft promise from a team, and that there is a very good chance he is going to be a lottery pick. If Payne has indeed been targeted by a lottery team, his most likely destination is the Thunder, whom I predicted would be selecting the guard in my latest mock draft, though this is merely my speculation of course.
- The Spurs brought in Syracuse forward Chris McCullough for an interview today, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
- Scheduled for workouts this Friday with the Grizzlies are Josh Richardson, Ky Madden, Aaron Thomas, Pat Connaughton, Chris Walker, and Brandon Ashley, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (subscription required) relays.
- Arkansas forward Bobby Portis has workouts scheduled with the Thunder, Heat, Pistons, Raptors, Pacers, Hornets, Bucks, Suns, and Jazz, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe tweets.
- Former Colorado guard Askia Booker worked out for the Suns on Tuesday, and has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Lakers and the Jazz, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays (Twitter link).
- Booker said that he was asked about his refusal to play in this year’s College Basketball Invitational tournament by the Sixers, and also expects the subject to come up in other interviews, Dempsey relays in a series of tweets. “It’s something I’m willing to address no doubt. I have no issue addressing that. When the question comes I’ll be able to answer it,” Booker said. “It was a mutual decision. We came to an agreement, and the decision was made.” Booker reportedly passed on playing in the tourney to prepare for the upcoming draft instead.
Q&A With Lottery Hopeful Jerian Grant
Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 14 in this year’s class and Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates 17th.
A team in need of a playmaking point guard would do very well to wind up with Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant. Blessed with tremendous size for the position, the 6’5″ athlete is a tremendous passer with exceptional ball handling skills. Grant also offers a level of maturity that the younger guards in this year’s class might not possess right out of the gate. Through five years with the Fighting Irish, Grant has developed on and off the court, blossoming into a high-upside NBA prospect. Last week, Grant took time out of his busy schedule to chat with Hoops Rumors about his strengths, where he might wind up getting drafted, and much more.
Zach Links: Your older brother, 76ers forward Jerami Grant, went through the draft process last year. What kind of advice has he given you?
Jerian Grant: Just do what you do. Don’t go out there trying to do things that you’re not supposed to be doing. They already know that you can play the game. Just go out there and reinforce what you do best. 
ZL: What would it mean for you to play alongside him at the next level?
JG: It’d be great. We got to play together a bit when we were younger. Both of our games have developed so much, so I think that we can be a dynamic duo together.
ZL: What teams have you worked out for so far?
JG: Just the Pacers on Monday [May 18th].
ZL: What team workouts do you have coming up?
JG: I have one scheduled with the Hornets on June 8th but that’s it for now.
ZL: You’ve been on the NBA radar for some time now and it seems like you could have gone pro earlier if you wanted to. Why was it important for you to stay in school and graduate?
JG: A few things, one is that I wanted to graduate. Also, I wanted to come back and take on more of a leadership role and I did that too. In the previous years I was at Notre Dame, I felt like I was one of the better players on the team but maybe not the No. 1 leader. As a point guard that’s a role you want to fill and I’m glad I got to do that last season.
ZL: You took a seismic leap forward in your senior year. What do you attribute that to?
JG: I think stepping into a leadership role really helped make me a more rounded player. I practiced even harder than before, I worked even harder than before, and I was more vocal.
ZL: Thanks to redshirting in your freshman year, you spent five total years in school. Do you think that allowed you to gain some additional maturity on and off the court as you look ahead to the NBA?
JG: Absolutely. i’ve been through a lot over those five years, I’m definitely seasoned. Now I know that I can go into the NBA and help right away. It’s not gonna take two or three years for me to acclimate myself.
ZL: You had a ton of memorable moments at Notre Dame, including leading your team to an Elite Eight appearance this past season. If you had to pick your favorite game or one highlight from your career at Notre Dame, what would it be?
JG: I think just winning the ACC championship. We went down there to Carolina and to beat Duke and Carolina to win the ACC championship – the first conference championship for our school – it meant so much.
ZL: At 6’5″, what kind of things can you do on the court that smaller point guards typically can’t?
JG: I think my vision is definitely helped by my height. I can see over defenses and make better passes on certain players. Smaller guys can’t do it because they don’t have the length. My vision and my playmaking ability at 6’5″ is that much better because of my height.
ZL: What’s the ideal kind of offense for you to thrive in at the NBA level?
JG: It’s tough to say. I definitely like to get up and down the court, I make a lot of plays there. But, I think my strong suit is in the ball stance in the half court.
ZL: What specific areas of your game do you feel like you want to improve on most?
JG: Being able to knock down shots consistently, that’ll go a long way for me. Being able to spot up and nail those shots. I also want to develop different types of one-on-one moves. I used the step back a lot in college, but I want to have a wider variety of ways to attack the defense.
ZL: Where have you been working out since the end of the season?
JG: I’m back home in Maryland, working with my old teammate Victor Oladipo and my brother Jerami. It’s real competitive.
ZL: What led you to choose IAM Sports to represent you?
JG: Victor is my best friend and he uses the same agency. I met with them and felt like it was the right place for me. I asked about them, Victor told me all about them and he only had positive things to say. There are only like seven players in the agency, so it has a family feel and they give every client a ton of attention.
ZL: Do you have an idea as to where you’ll be drafted? What’s your floor and what’s your ceiling?
JG: My agent and I have been hearing anywhere from No. 8 to No. 20, anywhere around that range. They don’t see me going past No. 22 and they say the ceiling is around No. 8 or 9. It’s a wide range right now.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eastern Notes: Hornets, Noel, Heat
Nerlens Noel is the current face of the Sixers, but he isn’t worried about being traded the way Michael Carter-Williams, the last potential franchise cornerstone, was, Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “No, no, no – that’s not on my mind at all,” Noel said. “I’m focused on helping build this team on the right path, building with the right coach, and bringing in young guys so we can really make a wave. I have a lot of confidence in Sam [Hinkie]. He hasn’t failed us so far. Joel‘s [Embiid] healthy and looking great – great. He’s moving well. I feel good. I’m healthy. We’re moving forward, and things are in place. I feel good about everything.”
Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:
- If the Hornets can’t redeem the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft for an impact player who can score, the franchise needs to trade away assets for draft picks and become worse so they can become better in the long run, opines Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer.
- The Heat owe a total of six draft picks (three first-round picks and three second-round picks) over the next seven years as the result of previous trades, with none due from other teams, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel points out. This makes it absolutely vital for Miami to select an impact player with the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft, Winderman adds.
- One of the factors involved in the recent shakeup of the Raptors‘ coaching staff was the slow growth curve of former No. 5 overall pick Jonas Valanciunas, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes.
- Many scouts and executives believe that the depth in the 2015 NBA Draft is between the mid-first round and late first round, right where the Bulls are slated to pick at No. 22 overall, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes.