Let’s hand out some grades for the Hornets’ pickups.
The Charlotte Hornets season came to a close on game 82 of the regular season and they finished 21-61. Rough season to say the least, but there were a few highlights for this team. Like Charlotte being active at the trade deadline to acquire a few pieces that could actually spend a little more time in Buzz City than some might expect. Let’s take a look at how those guys did and if Charlotte should make them a part of their future or cut ties with them.
Seth Curry only averaged nine points in eight showing for the Hornets since he was a part of the slew of injuries the team faced. Still, his ability to be a threat on the outside provided spacing for a Hornets team that desperately needed it. If he did play a few more of the remaining games, Curry’s grade would surely be higher, but given the limited contributions, a satisfactory grade seems fair.
Despite that, Charlotte should look to keep the Charlotte native in-house. He’ll be an affordable piece to keep around. The team already has an influx of young talent already and they’ll add another one in the 2024 NBA Draft. Having veterans on a roster with young guys would help them gel quicker and get to where they want to be in due time.
Grant Williams did not quite fit in with the Dallas Mavericks personnel, so swapping him for PJ Washington really seemed like a win-win kinda deal. Williams, another Charlotte native, stepped in and posted career-highs across the board. More importantly, he showed that he could be a leader and bring some grittiness to a young team that could use it. Of all the veterans that were brought in, Williams was the only one with a Finals appearance and he’s played over 60 games in the postseason.
The Hornets should hang on to Williams for the long haul. He has three more years left on his deal and could be another glue guy for the squad. Having playoff experience on a roster could be hard to find on a young team. Charlotte likely values it and won’t move him unless a good deal comes along.
Davis Bertans came from the Oklahoma City Thunder trio that Charlotte got for Gordon Hayward. Bertans was a little bit of a weird piece to have in the vicinity. He seems like the perfect guy for a playoff team to have to be that three-point specialist. Charlotte wasn’t playing for such things, but Bertans came in and had a positive impact on the locker room since he’s been around for a while. Heck, he even said in his exit interviews he’d like to be back.
Keeping him doesn’t seem like a necessity for Charlotte. Good vet to have for sure, but there’s no telling how much he plays on a healthy roster. The priority will be to play the young guys and pieces that have a future with the team. His contract has an early termination option and Charlotte will likely not want to pay him $16 million to ride the bench most of the season.
Tre Mann’s grade: B
After not playing in 13 games in OKC, Charlotte was the perfect spot for Tre Mann to land. He was thrust into the starting lineup with injuries to LaMelo Ball and other guys in the backcourt. Mann came in and also posted career-highs due to the increase in playing time. He’s a shifty, bouncy guard who could create his shot with ease.
They should keep Mann. He won’t be a starter next season, but he has the upside to be a solid rotational player. At 22 years old, there is still time to figure out what kind of player he can mold into.
Vasilije Micic’s grade: B-
Vasilije Micic was the oldest rookie in the 2023-24 season and he had a solid campaign in Charlotte. High IQ guy on offense, makes the right play most of the time and could be a reliable spot-up shooter out on the wing. He was up and down with Charlotte but ultimately played solid.
Micic and the Hornets need to part ways. Another team could use his services more than Charlotte would in the 2024-25 season. He’d likely get phased out of the rotation for the youth movement as well.
Aleksej Pokusevski’s grade: C-
Harsh grade for Alekej Pokusevski, but he didn’t show much with the new opportunity. There’s plenty of time for him to piece together his career. He is only 22 years old. Still, in a scenario where a lot of the roster was missing, Poku should have come in and had a larger impact. He is still a seven-footer who can potentially space the floor and block shots though.
Charlotte could keep Poku, but make him earn his roster spot. Have him play with the G-League affiliate in the Greensboro Swarm and let him develop. He seems like an ideal guy to sign to a two-way deal with hopes of signing him to a fully guaranteed deal later in the season.
Bertans and Micic get the axe here, but mainly because they will fit better in different places around the NBA. Charlotte will likely shop around free agency to fill other holes on the roster. No need to take up spots with guys who you know won’t benefit you too much. The objective this offseason will be to get healthy and build around their franchise players, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
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