Charlotte Hornets: Five Reasons for Fans to be Optimistic
By River Rhodes
The Terry Rozier Signing Actually Worked Out, Kind Of
In the 2019 offseason, the Charlotte Hornets made the controversial move to give up the pursuit of franchise guard Kemba Walker. Walker had earned All-NBA Third Team accolades during the season, making him eligible for a five-year, 221 million dollar supermax contract. The team opted to instead offer Walker a meager 160 million over the same time frame.
Even if Walker had not made any of the All-NBA teams, he would still have been eligible for a regular 190 million max contract. By comparison, the Hornets’ final offer was both insulting and puzzling. It would be one thing if management was banking on Walker missing the All-NBA selection, but they didn’t even offer him the full regular max.
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This is one of the biggest disparities in the league, yet Terry Rozier is shooting nearly 3 of his 6.6 three-point attempts off the dribble each game. If the team can figure out how to limit that going forward, Rozier might be truly unleashed to reach his full potential.
Lastly, as much as fans might hate to hear it, letting Walker go might not have been the worst decision for the Charlotte Hornets to make. Walker is turning 30 next month. He is not remotely close to the same timeline as any of the Hornets’ other pieces, and frankly, Charlotte was in no position to compete any time soon.
While it might have been smarter to trade Walker and get something in return earlier, it seems at least now the team is looking to the future. Swapping out Walker for Rozier may have been a downgrade in talent, but it was an upgrade in the age department.
Locking the team financials down with a hefty five-year contract would kill flexibility and further tie the Hornets to the tenth seed they seem so attached to. Now the future is full of options. This deal is a sign that management might actually have a clue what it is doing and have a plan going forward.