Welcome to Buzz City Beat, a daily roundup of the latest and greatest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors in their second round series after an 115-94 win while the San Antonio Spurs stole game three against the Houston Rockets to go up 2-1 in their series. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at five former Charlotte Hornets‘ players attempting an NBA comeback, a possible Kemba Walker trade to the Dallas Mavericks and Nicolas Batum produces a movie that just released.
Five Former Charlotte Players Attempting to Make an NBA Comeback (CheatSheet.com)
"So who attempted a comeback in 2016–17? Thanks to the NBA Developmental League, often just called the D-League, older players have somewhere to go to get minutes on the court. This allows them to showcase their skills and make their case to the NBA. It even worked out for a few of them! These 10 NBA players attempted a comeback this past season."
Tyler Hansbrough, Reggie Williams, Damien Wilkins, Jannero Pargo and Ben Gordon were all former Charlotte players who attempted NBA comebacks this past season. Only Williams was able to make his way back to the league as he appeared in six games for the New Orleans Pelicans this year. Aside from him, none of the other four veterans were called up from the D-League.
Considering that all of these players are entering the later stages of their careers, it is unlikely that they see minutes with an NBA team going forward. Still, Damien Wilkins proved this past season that he could still be a valuable asset to a D-League team. Even if that is their future, they could help mold some of the young prospects.
Kemba Walker to the Dallas Mavericks? (Sportsday.DallasNews.com)
"The point is that the Mavericks will have a chance to trade for a veteran point guard — Ricky Rubio or Kemba Walker might make sense — who would be a little older than whatever rookie they would get, but also would make Dirk Nowitzki‘s final season(s) far more palatable."
Disclaimer: This is not a trade rumor. Although, it is a bit surprising that the staff writer for Dallas believes that Kemba is available on the trade market. If you ask me, there is no way Charlotte moves Walker this summer unless they are blown away by a massive trade with multiple first-round picks and/or a star player.
Kemba Walker and the Hornets are committed to each other. Coming off of a career season where he appeared in his first All-Star Game, Charlotte’s star point guard’s stock is at an all-time high. The team may make a number of trades this summer but it is unlikely that the 26-year old will be involved.
Nicolas Batum Produces a Movie (Twitter/ @Nicolas88Batum)
"Go download this movie that my friend and I have produced #nolacircus available on VOD in the USA and France."
Next: What if the Hornets win the NBA draft lottery?
Nicolas Batum helped produce the comedy “N.O.L.A Circus” with a number of other famous French basketball players like Boris Diaw, Nando De Colo, Ian Mahinmi, Alexis Ajinca and Ronny Turiaf. Not to mention soccer players like Bacary Sagna and Johan Djourou. According to IMDB, the film premiered on April 25th and is available on Amazon and iTunes for $1.99.