Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm Roster Gets Makeover
By Zach Timmons
As the Charlotte Hornets’ D-League affiliate continues to improve, management has pulled some strings and acquired new pieces to help them contend.
The Charlotte Hornets‘ D-League team in the Greensboro Swarm currently have a record of 11-20, sitting firmly in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Management has been trying to find ways to improve that record, and they got off to a good start this week.
The beginning of February is an important time in the NBA calendar. All-Star Weekend is coming up, as is the NBA trade deadline. The deadline means that NBA franchises want to make room for as many players as they can, and D-League teams are often affected.
This week was no different, as the Greensboro Swarm parted ways with Aaron Harrison in a trade that brought former NC State standout Anthony “Cat” Barber to Greensboro. In addition to that move, the New Orleans Pelicans assigned forward Cheick Diallo to the Swarm on January 30.
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?
Diallo comes to Greensboro after averaging 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in nine games with the Pelicans. He comes to the Swarm on the “flexible assignment rule”, which basically means the parent franchise (Pelicans) can assign him to any D-League team they see fit.
This also means that he may be on the move before the trade deadline, perhaps to the Hornets or another team, and the Pelicans wanted to make room on their roster as well as give Diallo another opportunity to shine.
The assignment to Greensboro will be Diallo’s fourth assignment to the D-League, having played with the Long Island Nets and the Austin Spurs. Diallo is averaging 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in the D-League and will look to bolster the Swarm at the wing and frontcourt positions.
The other notable move was sending Aaron Harrison to the Delaware 87ers in exchange for Barber. Harrison, while leading the Swarm in scoring with 18.6 points, never officially broke into the Charlotte Hornets rotation, mostly because of his struggles on defense.
The Hornets officially waived Harrison in January, and he had the choice of playing overseas or staying a free agent until another NBA team picked him up. None did, so he resigned with the Swarm and played until the trade.
Meanwhile, Barber has averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 dimes and 3.6 boards per contest through 21 games for Delaware. The athletic and super quick guard will add even more competition to a Greensboro backcourt that includes himself, Xavier Munford, and Rasheed Sulaimon. Archie Goodwin also plays at the 2 and 3, so he will undoubtedly play some backcourt minutes as well.
Lastly, the Charlotte Hornets signed Ray McCallum from the Grand Rapids Drive this week. McCallum will likely serve as the backup point guard, looking to compete with Ramon Sessions and Brian Roberts. If he doesn’t perform well, the Swarm may be able to snatch him up and add him to their backcourt as well.
McCallum is an all-around threat, as he has averaged 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, and six rebounds in the D-League this year. The guard out of Detroit will look to make an immediate impact on the Hornets.
Next: Are D-League Assignees Hindering Development?
The Swarm will look to improve on their record with these new pieces. With center Mike Tobey also signing a 10-day contract with the Hornets, the Swarm will need all the help they can get from their new backcourt.