Buzz City Beat: Charlotte Hornets buyout budget, Fresh start for Willy Hernangomez
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 Queen City team snapped their 14-game losing streak in one-possession games as they defeated the Orlando Magic, 104-102, in their final game before the All-Star Break. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at the amount of money the Charlotte Hornets can spend in the buyout market, a change of scenery for Willy Hernangomez and an interview with Luke Petrasek.
Hornets’ buyout budget (BlogDontLie36.WordPress.com)
"Charlotte has $3.90M of its Non-Taxpayer MLE left, but the luxury tax probably limits the team’s spending power. The Hornets are just $1.84M below the tax line, and it’s hard to envision Michael Jordan wanting to pay the tax for a roster that will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs."
If Charlotte was to look at the buyout market, it would most likely be for a point guard. Michael Carter-Williams just hasn’t played up to expectations this season and Steve Clifford has shown little indication of playing Julyan Stone or two-way player Marcus Paige in his place. While the Hornets don’t have a lot of cap space and money to spend, a minimum deal may be enough to entice a veteran PG to sign with them for the remainder of the season.
Looking at the free agent market, there are a number of available point guards including Briante Weber, Ramon Sessions, Ray McCallum, Ty Lawson, Derrick Rose and Larry Drew II. Of those players, Rose was the only one recently bought out of his contract. Another player who could possibly be a buyout option is Shabazz Mohamad and although he isn’t a PG, he could be a playmaker off of the Hornets’ bench.
Fresh start for Willy Hernangomez (NBA.com)
"“I like the city. The weather is nice. New York is very cold. The people are very cool with me from the beginning [in Charlotte]. It’s a clean city. It’s a small city. I really like it. I’ve been here a couple days walking around the city, so I got to know a little bit more. I feel at home from the beginning, so that’s great."
It sounds like it hasn’t taken long for Hernangomez to adjust to life in the Queen City. He seems to already love his new home. That’s a positive sign as his relationship with Charlotte and the team is off to a great start. Hopefully, he will be able to get some consistent minutes and produce on the floor for the Hornets sooner rather than later.
Willy wasn’t getting a lot of playing time with the Knicks this season and is embracing his new opportunity with Charlotte. This is not only a fresh start for the big man but also a refreshing change of scenery and a second chance for him to continue his development and growth in the NBA. Nicolas Batum even praised the young Spaniard by calling him a “good player” and singled out his skills, physicality and basketball IQ.
Luke Petrasek’s unexpected arrival to the NBA G-League (DefPen.com)
"“Just being around Kemba,” Petrasek said, “you just realize there’s even a stage above how hard you’re working. I’m going through training camp thinking I’m doing well, getting shots up and working out. Then I see Kemba come in and he’s already been working out by the time I get in the gym. Or Dwight will come back late at night and do some conditioning.”"
Next: Kemba believes Monk will be a star in Charlotte
After four years at the University of Columbia, Petrasek joined the Hornets’ training camp roster and was able to learn from guys like Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard for a short time. Luke, who is averaging 6.1 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game with the Greensboro Swarm this season, talked about how he met his agent and ultimately ended up with Charlotte’s G-League affiliate. He is living his dream and is hoping that he can continue to improve his game while still hoping for an NBA opportunity.