Should the Charlotte Hornets re-sign Bismack Biyombo?

Several Charlotte Hornets players will see their current contracts come to an and this offseason. This includes Bismack Biyombo. Should the Hornets offer him a new contract?

The Charlotte Hornets have several decisions to make regarding expiring contracts this offseason, the biggest of which may just be center, Bismack Biyombo. Biyombo is finishing up his sixth total season in Charlotte and has played well, but many have expressed their dissatisfaction with his inflated contract.

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“Biz” just finished up a 4-year, $70 million deal that he signed back in 2016 with the Orlando Magic. In 2018, Biyombo was involved in a trade that would send him from Orlando back to Charlotte in a three-team trade. He exercised a player option last season to the tune of $17 million, but will now be an unrestricted free agent.

So, should the Hornets re-sign him? He’s familiar with the team and its systems and he’s the type of guy who might not pad the stat sheet but does all the little things that can help a team.

The problem lies in the fact that what he does isn’t worth what he was making in his previous contract. $17 million is a lot for a guy whose career points average is just a little over 7 points a game. Sure, he’s a capable rebounder and defender, but his defensive rating of 111 is 8th on the team, with another big man on an expiring contract, Willy Hernangomez, having a much better rating.

His PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 116.7 is also below Willy’s, as well as fellow center, Cody Zeller. So overall, he’s the third-best center they have, give or take a few numbers. Perhaps if his rebounding total of six a game were higher or his free-throw percentage wasn’t a team-low 60%, then he could sign a more lucrative deal.

In any case, it’s not likely he’ll get a deal even close to what he signed back in 2016. If the Hornets can re-sign the veteran big man for a nice amount, say maybe anything below $5 million per year, then yes, it might be a good idea to bring him back. Then again, at age 27, it could be better to just try and find another center in the draft and save a few million.

At this point in his career, Biyombo is a known commodity and him becoming a dominant center in the NBA is unlikely. He’s a great teammate, by all accounts, and has enough talent to be a nice role player on any team, but the lofty contract he sported over the last four years is unwarranted.

It’s a bit of a shame that he came back to the Charlotte Hornets with that contract because it seems the team, coaching staff, and fans all really like him, yours truly included. A contract like that, however, is a lot to live up to, especially on a losing team like Charlotte.

I’d love to see him back on a more reasonable deal, and I think he will find that, whether it’s in Charlotte or somewhere else. Either way, Hornets fans always wish their alumni the best of luck, wherever they may end up.