Charlotte Hornets: Who should get the final roster spots?
The Charlotte Hornets’ training camp roster is nearly complete, which means a decision is looming as to who will make the roster going into the season.
Considering we are just a day away from September, the Charlotte Hornets likely don’t have much more free agency moves up their sleeves. They made their big move early on in July, when they acquired Terry Rozier in a sign-and-trade with Boston. Since then, though, it’s been under-the-radar moves.
As it stands right now, the Hornets have 18 players under contract. Of those 18 players, 13 are on guaranteed NBA contracts, which leaves the rest fighting for the final two roster spots. They can still sign two more players for training camp, one of which could be the 52nd overall pick in June’s draft, Jalen McDaniels.
So, who makes the team? Looking at the roster, it looks like these players will be in prime consideration for a regular roster spot:
- Joe Chealey
- Caleb Martin
- Josh Perkins
- Thomas Welsh
Chealey is a name that should be familiar to Hornets fans, as he was on a two-way contract with the club last season. Martin is the twin brother of Cody Martin, who has a safe spot on the team. Perkins is an undrafted point guard out of Gonzaga, and Welsh is their most recent addition — a big that can stretch the floor and crash the glass.
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?
Mitch Kupchak has a couple of tough decisions ahead of him. He still has time to observe their play in training camp, but it’s never too early to make predictions. In my opinion, Chealey and Welsh deserve the final two roster spots.
Chealey really impressed me with his play in the G-League last season before going down with a season-ending meniscus injury. He averaged 16.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He’s an all-around lead guard that continues to get better. He also looked good in Summer League for Charlotte.
Welsh, meanwhile, was on a two-way contract with Denver last season. He averaged 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 47 percent from deep. He can really shoot the ball, and any time you have a guy his size with that skill, it’s very appealing. Quickly picking him up on the free agent market after he was waived was a smart move by Kupchak.
These are two players that won’t make the biggest impact right away, but their continued development could pay off down the road. I think they both have a future in the NBA, whether it’s with Charlotte or another franchise.
The other training camp invites would presumably be waived and then play with Charlotte’s G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. It will give them the chance to work on their games and go for a roster spot next season.
With 2019-20 likely being a rebuilding season for the Charlotte Hornets, it would be smart of them to prioritize the development of younger players. Chealey and Welsh are two intriguing prospects with NBA skills.
Next. Can Head Coach James Borrego survive a rebuild?. dark
It’s going to be interesting to see who gets a spot on the roster and who doesn’t. Training camp is nearly here, so good luck to all of the players fighting for a roster spot.