Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets.
The team is set to give away 7,500 Steve Smith bobbleheads during their March 10th home game against the Phoenix Suns. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at an update on the Charlotte Hornets‘ trade discussions with the New York Knicks, Cody Zeller being cleared to practice and yet another loss for the Greensboro Swarm.
Hornets trade talks with Knicks didn’t get far (BasketballInsiders.com)
"When news that Charlotte’s Kemba Walker might be available broke, Knicks fans pegged him as someone to go all-in for, however, Knicks sources say there was due diligence done there, but nothing got very far. The Hornets have been quick to downplay a willingness to move Walker, which likely is why the Knicks talk didn’t get very far."
This isn’t that much of a surprise considering earlier reports from ESPN when the news first broke that said the two teams haven’t had “substantive discussions.” It’s still interesting though because New York was the first and most popular destination for Kemba to land when the trade rumors started. It’s clear NY was at least interested in acquiring Walker as they did their “due diligence” regarding a potential move.
Considering that Charlotte most likely wanted a large haul including a first-round draft pick or a young player and salary cap relief in exchange for Walker, the Knicks probably weren’t very interested in that type of trade. Couple that with Michael Jordan saying that the all-star point guard isn’t on the trading block and that probably put an end to all trade talks. The Hornets’ high asking price was most likely the deal breaker.
Cody Zeller cleared to return to practice (Twitter/ @Rick_Bonnell)
"For the first time since knee surgery, @hornets center Cody Zeller was cleared to do everything at practice except scrimmage. That’s a significant step."
Cody Zeller has been for over six weeks since having surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus on December 12th. He was expected to miss around six weeks so his return timetable is right on track. Although he is close to coming back to the team, the big man still needs to be cleared for full-contact.
And after that, he will most likely be on a minutes restriction until he regains his in-game conditioning. Still, this is some positive news. The Hornets will need Zeller to be healthy going forward if they want to not only make a push for the playoffs but also compete in the postseason if they get there. Cody’s been out for over 20 games and Charlotte’s missed his impact off of the bench.
Greensboro Swarm losing streak extends to three games (Gleague.NBA.com)
"The Maine Red Claws rode Kadeem Allen and Devin Williams and used lock-down defense in the second half to turn a deficit into a 110-100 victory. Greensboro (9-21) was led by Cat Barber with 23 points. Terry Henderson and L.G. Gill each scored 15 points for the Swarm, while Marcus Paige added 13 off the bench."
Next: Top-5 all-star snubs in Charlotte history
Greensboro just can’t seem to get on the right track. Not only have they lost three straight but they’ve also dropped 10 of their last 12 outings. The Swarm are the seventh lowest scoring team in the G-League this season averaging only 103.5 points per game. Unless Dwayne Bacon or Malik Monk is assigned to the Hornets’ affiliate, it’s unlikely that they will turn things around this year.