Briante Weber’s future with the Charlotte Hornets may be in doubt
Briante Weber‘s future with the Charlotte Hornets’ organization could possibly be in jeopardy as they search for point guard competition.
Depending on how much stock you put in Rich Cho’s words, Briante Weber’s time with the Charlotte Hornets could possibly be coming to an end sooner rather than later. Since the point guard is on a non-guaranteed deal for the 2017-18 season, it makes him all the more likely to be waived if push comes to shove.
The Hornets’ general manager has indicated that the team’s targeting a third point guard despite having three on their roster in Kemba Walker, Michael Carter-Williams and Briante. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Cho later clarified that Charlotte’s “evaluating whether to sign a 3rd point guard or keep Weber.”
It’s safe to say that, at the very least, the team isn’t 100% sold on keeping the VCU product as their third string point guard. His rather average performance in the summer league probably didn’t help his standing with the Hornets. That’s not to say that he will inevitably be cut but it does cast some doubt on his future.
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Briante was originally signed to a 10-day contract by Charlotte mid-season last year. He impressed the organization enough to earn a two-year deal. The 6’2 point guard earned his shot in the NBA after putting up ridiculous stats and multiple triple-doubles in the G-League.
He appeared in 13 games for Charlotte averaging 3.8 points per game, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. While his three-point shooting is still lacking, Briante showed that he could make an impact as a high-intensity defender.
Weber’s contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until August 1st which means that the team could waive him before that and his $1.4 million salary would be voided. At that salary, Briante is a rather inexpensive option for the Hornets.
The problem with finding another third string/emergency point guard is that the free agent market is rather dry. Aside from bringing in a 30-plus-year-old veteran, there are limited options for Charlotte. Signing a player to a veteran minimum may save the Hornets a tiny bit of money but it may come at a cost as Weber is probably the most talented option they are gong to find for their price range.
Next: Charlotte Hornets' summer league standouts
In my opinion, the Charlotte Hornets would be hard-pressed to find a player with more potential than Briante. The best and safest bet is to stick with the 24-year old who was actually serviceable when plugged into the rotation at the end of last season.