Charlotte Hornets sign Luke Petrasek to training camp deal
Luke Petrasek is the Charlotte Hornets’ latest signing as the team works to round out their roster for training camp.
NBA agent BJ Bass announced that Luke Petrasek has signed with the Charlotte Hornets. The big man went undrafted this summer after playing four seasons at Columbia University. Including two-way contracts, this deal gives Charlotte 20 players heading into training camp.
The addition of Petrasek gives Charlotte more frontcourt depth and some extra competition for camp. They now have eight bigs under contract including Marvin Williams, Dwight Howard, Frank Kaminsky, Cody Zeller, Johnny O’Bryant, Isaiah Hicks and Mangok Mathiang (two-way). Even though Luke played power forward in college, there is a chance that he could make the transition to small forward in the pros.
The 22-year old doesn’t have great size for a big man in the NBA but he does have the ability to stretch the floor and handle the ball on the perimeter. His coach, Jim Engles, said that “[Petrasek] reminds me of [former Chicago Bulls player] Toni Kukoc.”
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?
During his senior season, Petrasek averaged 15.1 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals. He also managed to shoot 48.7% from the field, 37.1% from three and 80.2% from the free throw line in 27 appearances for the Lions.
Luke was probably Columbia’s best player last year as he led his team’s leading scorer and shot blocker while being second in rebounds and steals. His final season in college was by far his best as he put up career high’s across the board. The New York native upped his PPG from 10.2 as a Junior to 15.1 as a Senior.
He was named to the 2017 All-Ivy League Second Team during his final year. Petrasek worked out for both the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers before the 2017 NBA Draft. On an intriguing note, his grandfather, Connie Simmons, played 10 professional seasons from 1946-56.
He also has decent athleticism to go with his impressive outside shooting touch. Luke could be a stretch four at the pro level. While it is unlikely that he makes the Hornets’ final 15-man regular season roster, he could stick with the organization and join their D-League affiliate in the Greensboro Swarm.
Next: Malik Monk's skillset is a mix between the Splash Bros
Petrasek could see a few minutes for Charlotte during the preseason which is set to begin on October 2nd against the Boston Celtics. The team has a total of five exhibition games before the regular season begins. Luke will get his chance to prove himself with the Hornets.