Five Waived Players the Charlotte Hornets Should Think About Signing

With teams around the NBA making their last minutes cuts by waiving fringe players, there could be some talent out there for the Charlotte Hornets.

The NBA season is just around the corner which means that teams around the league are making their final roster cuts before the year begins. Every team must trim their roster to a maximum of 15 players which means that not every talented player will be on a roster. This is where the Charlotte Hornets can swoop in and steal a rotation player or a contributor.

Obviously no NBA team is going to waive one of their best players but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent out there to be had. Plenty of late bloomers or players that teams have given up on squeeze through the cracks each season. There are a few diamonds in the rough and with the Hornets finally having a D-League team in the Greensboro Swarm, they have a place where they can develop young talent that they can’t keep on their 15-man roster.

The Hornets are far from a finished product and adding more talent to their already skilled roster wouldn’t hurt. Charlotte may be a playoff contending team but adding a contributor or two could help them in the long run. Here are the five best players that were waived this season. The Charlotte Hornets should take a close look at each of them and think about signing at least one.

1. Archie Goodwin

The former Kentucky Wildcat was surprisingly released by the Phoenix Suns in an unexpected move than even experts couldn’t quite perceive. He is an athletic guard who can play both the point and shooting guard positions. At only 22-years of age, Archie still has plenty of time to develop and plenty of upside.

For whatever reason, the Suns cut ties with Goodwin. He averaged 8.9 points per game last season and had a good preseason averaging 7.3 PPG. It isn’t clear why Phoenix gave up on the young prospect so soon but one team’s trash (not really trash) could be the Hornets’ treasure. He could contribute right away as an emergency guard or if he isn’t ready, put him in the D-League for the year. Either way, he is the best player with the most upside that was waived this season.

2. RJ Hunter

After a breakout performance during his junior year in college, Hunter bolted for the NBA. His outside shooting and scoring ability made him an intriguing prospect for a number of teams. The Boston Celtics took a chance on him late in the first round and only a year later, they have waived him.

RJ’s only 23-years old and Charlotte was looking at him before the draft last year. They brought him in for a pre-draft workout so maybe they like what they saw and could pick him up now. He only averaged 2.7 points per game last year so it is probably best that he plays for the Greensboro Swarm, if he is signed, to continue his development into a contributing shooter off of the bench.

3. Alonzo Gee

Out of all the players that were waived around the league, Gee may be the player that could contribute the most right now to any team. He is a solid, all-around small forward who can be a valuable role player. Alonzo has bounced around the NBA a bit but he has helped every team that he’s played for with his athleticism, good shot selection, and rebounding. The New Orleans Pelicans cut him to make room for Lance Stephenson on their roster this year.

The Hornets are likely to keep Treveon Graham on their roster for the regular season but I would argue that Gee is an upgrade. The 29-year old veteran can be a back-up wing player for Charlotte and contribute when called upon. I think the team should definitely look into signing him and dropping Graham down to the D-League so that he can further his development for this season.

4. Tony Wroten

Only a few short seasons ago, Wroten was one of the Philadelphia 76ers best players and most intriguing prospects. Now he has bounced around the NBA to the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies. The latter released him after not appearing in a game with the team last season and he is still a young prospect at 23-years old.

He only played in eight games in 2015-16 after battling back from knee surgery. Wroten was a fascinating talent and may still have some upside going forward if he can re-gain his old form. I think that Hornets should give him a shot in the D-Legaue and see if still has what it takes to make it in the NBA. If it works out, Charlotte look like geniuses and have an automatic impact scorer off of their bench. If it does, there wasn’t a big risk on the team’s part.

5. Jarrett Jack

Jack is the oldest player on this list but he may also be the best suited for a contributor role but he may also be the least likely to succeed at a high level. There is not upside surrounding him at 32-years of age. The only reason a team would sign him is to be a back-up point guard or even an emergency guard on their roster.

Next: Perry Ellis to Join the Greensboro Swarm

Before going doing with an injury last season, Jarrett was averaging 12.8 points per game and 7.4 assists per game with the Brooklyn Nets. They waived him this summer and after being picked up but he Atlanta Hawks, they recently cut him too. He may still have something left in the tank and Jack could be more valuable as an emergency point guard if someone gets injured and not keep Brian Roberts on the roster.