Charlotte Hornets: Is Aaron Harrison’s Release a Sign of Things to Come?
After waiving Aaron Harrison, the Charlotte Hornets’ roster sits at 14 players. What is to come for the team now that they have an open roster spot?
For the first time in a while, there is some uncertainty surrounding the Charlotte Hornets‘ roster. The team decided to release Aaron Harrison after a year and a half on the roster. They now have an open roster spot but what they do with it next is the real question.
Fans would love to believe that this is foreshadowing to a blockbuster trade that is set to happen down the road. While that is unlikely, it is a possibility. They could also use their 15th roster spot to sign a free agent that could contribute immediately as opposed to Harrison who is still a developing prospect.
The main reason this move was made was because Aaron’s contract was set to be guaranteed for the season in just a few days time. By waiving him, the Hornets take a cap hit of $375,579 instead of paying Harrison $874,000. It was the easy choice to waive a player who has not been on the regular roster and has spent more time in the D-League with the Greensboro Swarm than with Charlotte.
More from Swarm and Sting
- Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
- Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
- Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
- Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
While Aaron was performing well with the team’s D-League affiliate, it wasn’t logical for them to keep his contract on the regular season roster for the rest of the year. He averaged 0.2 points per game in five total games with the Hornets this year. With the Swarm, he was averaging 20.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, and 3.2 assists per game in 14 games this season.
He wasn’t getting any minutes behind Jeremy Lamb, Marco Belinelli, Ramon Sessions, or Brian Roberts this season and he wasn’t set to breakthrough into the rotation anytime soon. This was the best move for both sides.
While The Vertical reported that “the team has no immediate plans to add a player to replace Harrison,” they will eventually make a move. Whether it be a trade or a signing, they will add a 15th player to their roster.
Now the organization has the ability to strengthen their roster with the empty spot. They could make a trade and take on an extra player from another team or they could sign a free agent/D-League player for the remainder of the season. Whatever the next move may be, Rich Cho and company likely want a contributor that could immediately impact the team.
Cho is known for his ability to make deals such as the trade he made for Courtney Lee last season before the trade deadline. That move immediately impacted the team in a positive way and helped them take the Miami Heat to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. A similarly impactful trade this year would be the dream scenario.
Next: Charlotte Hornets Top-10 Moments of 2016
While this move was mainly made for financial reasons, it does open up the possibility for a trade later on. The Charlotte Hornets took a chance on Aaron Harrison when they signed the undrafted guard but his uninspiring performances in the summer league and preseason this year cleared the air surrounding the prospect. It will be interesting to see what the team does with the empty roster spot but I am hopeful that Cho can work his magic and make a trade deadline move to improve the team.