Charlotte Hornets should go after Darren Collison in free agency
Darren Collison isn’t a top-tier free agent but he could fit perfectly with the Charlotte Hornets as they search for a backup point guard.
If the Charlotte Hornets don’t draft a point guard this summer then they will be scouring the free agent market in hopes of signing a quality backup to Kemba Walker. Rich Cho has already made it clear that the backup point guard role is a priority this offseason. Even with limited spending money, the team may be able to sign Darren Collison.
Charlotte’s cap is already maxed-out and, barring any trades, they will only have an $8.4 million Mid-Level Exception and a $3.2 million Bi-Annual Exception to spend this offseason. According to Bobby Marks, The Vertical’s front office insider, that may be enough to sign the UCLA product. If that is the case, the Hornets and the veteran point guard may be a perfect match.
Darren is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s spent the past three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. Before that, he bounced around the league a bit with the likes of New Orleans, the Indiana Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Throughout his career, Collison has split time between being a starter and a backup.
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The 29-year old averaged 13.2 points per game, 4.6 assists per game and 2.3 rebounds per game in 68 appearances for Sacramento this past season. He started 64 of those games and managed to shoot 47.6% from the field and 41.7% from three. After missing the first eight games of the regular season due to a suspension, Collison found his rhythm with the Kings and was one of the few consistent players on that team.
At this point, it would be better for Darren to be a backup/sixth man on a playoff team rather than start for a bad one like he did last season. Although Darren has already expressed interest in returning to Sacramento, things could change once free agency starts.
Charlotte’s been missing a strong backup point guard since Jeremy Lin left. With the team likely to decline Ramon Sessions‘ player option for next season and Brian Roberts set to be an unrestricted free agent, the Hornets will have an opening in their rotation. If Collison were to sign with the team, he would be guaranteed 20+ minutes a night off the bench and his scoring would not only lead the second unit but also take some of the load off of Kemba.
Although it would be hard for Steve Clifford to play Collison alongside Walker in a two-point guard lineup, that is only one small negative. Darren would add playmaking, scoring and shooting to the Hornets who is in need of all three. Charlotte hasn’t always been known as a prime free agent destination but they have been able to work under the radar over the past few years and signing the 6’0 point guard would be another quietly good move.
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There are a few other point guard options hitting the free agent market this offseason but of the one Charlotte could afford, few, if any, are better than Collison. Going after Darren makes sense both financially and roster-wise. Only time will tell but with their current roster and cap situation, they should definitely be taking a long look at the former first round pick.