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Charlotte Hornets to work out draft prospect Luke Kennard before June 22nd

By Jerry Stephens

Feb 11, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) reacts after scoring against the Clemson Tigers in the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) reacts after scoring against the Clemson Tigers in the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets will host projected lottery pick Luke Kennard for a pre-draft workout.

According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, “Luke Kennard says workouts scheduled with ORL (No. 6), NYK (8), DAL (9), CHA (11) all ahead of #Pistons (12).” This means that the Charlotte Hornets will meet with the Duke product before the NBA Draft on June 22nd. He has been linked to the team in multiple mocks but this is the first news connecting the two sides.

DraftExpress.com actually projects Charlotte to select Luke with the 11th overall pick in their latest mock. Despite being projected so high, Kennard is only the 16th overall prospect in this year’s draft class. Most expect him to be taken towards the end of the lottery and it is unlikely that he falls outside of the top-15.

At the NBA Draft Combine, Kennard measured in at 6’5½” and 196 pounds. He also was also recorded as having a 6’5¼” wingspan with an 8’2½” standing reach. While many people don’t think of him as being athletic, Luke reportedly had a 38.5″ max vertical jump when he worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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During his sophomore year under Mike Krzyzewski, he averaged 19.5 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 52.5% from two inside the three-point line and 43.8% from deep. Luke led the Blue Devils in scoring, was second in assists and third in rebounding as they finished with a 28-9 record and Second Round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Ohio native’s lethal range would be a great asset for the Hornets as they look to add more shooting this summer. He is arguably the best and most consistent outside shooter in the 2017 draft class. With a number of different directions that Charlotte could go with their first-round pick, I would consider Luke a realistic option at No. 11.

Kennard has already worked out for the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. He will meet with the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks as well. It looks like there will be plenty of potential lottery teams after Luke in this year’s draft.

Charlotte has already worked out a number of prospects including V.J. Beachem, Kadeem Allen, Kyle Kuzma, Nigel Williams-Goss and even Amile Jefferson who was one of Kennard’s teammates. They are also scheduled to scout Tyler Dorsey, Derrick White, Justin Patton, Terrance Ferguson and Donovan Mitchell.

Next: Charlotte should seriously consider drafting Kennard

With the connection between Duke and the Hornets (both being in North Carolina), the possible marriage between these two has been a fun one to entertain. Luke still has a lot to prove before the draft. He will really need to show Charlotte something in his pre-draft workout.

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