Charlotte Hornets Offseason: Round Table Discussion

2. Are you happy with the moves that the Charlotte Hornets made or could they have done more?

Deshawn White: I’m happy with it. Would’ve liked to keep Courtney Lee, but I know we were limited in money.

Max Teddy: Considering the team’s cap situation, I am pleased with the moves Charlotte made. Signing Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams for less than they were worth on the open market speaks to the superb negotiating skills of the front office, as well as the healthy culture of the locker room. I think our free agency acquisitions adequately replace what we lost in Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee. An added bonus: Ramon Sessions and Brian Roberts are familiar with Coach Clifford and the Hornets’ system.

Luke Spencer: I believe the Hornets made all the necessary moves to stay on the right track for this upcoming year. Guys like Belinelli, Hibbert and Sessions aren’t sexy signings or trades but this was the same argument last year with Batum and Lin. Look how one year with the Hornets reestablished their value and made them hot commodities in this free agent class. You have to be impressed with Rich Cho’s ability to wheel-and-deal in the market.

Signing Batum and Williams to team-friendly (but fair) deals to return was a win; so was reeling in Hibbert and Sessions on affordable contracts. Plus there’s a good possibility that Christian Wood will be better than any player the Hornets could’ve picked at 22. There’s not much else Cho could’ve done in my opinion. We were already in a tight spot with the cap, and he set us up to be in a better position for next year without compromising any future assets.

Laieke Abebe: Marvin Williams and Nic Batum took less than what they could’ve made on the open market to stay in Charlotte. I always thought Courtney Lee was going to walk despite how important he was to the 2nd half of last season. The way our cap situation was set up, it was going to be tough to keep everyone so they let Lee and Jeremy Lin walk. Trading for Marco Belinelli and signing Roy Hibbert were interesting but maybe we could’ve done better than that. Christian Wood went and had a great summer league with the Sixers and got rewarded by the Hornets for it. Overall, it was an interesting and intriguing offseason but it was pretty good for the circumstances.

Jerry Stephens: I am happy with the moves that the Hornets made this offseason. It was clear that they needed to re-sign Nic Batum and Marvin Williams and they got those deals done for below market value. They were never going to have a shot at re-signing Al Jefferson, Courtney Lee, and Jeremy Lin so the team went out and focused their efforts on other players. I think that they got good value in free agency with Ramon Sessions and Roy Hibbert. You can’t ask more of a small market team like Charlotte.

Next: Who Will They Miss the Most?