Charlotte Hornets: Roster projections for the 2021-22 season

3 of 3

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MARCH 23: Alperen Sengun of Besiktas Icrypex poses for a photo during an interview in Istanbul, Turkey on March 23, 2021. (Photo by Elif Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /

Projected additions: Alperen Sengun, Matthew Hurt, Quentin Grimes, Nerlens Noel

With three selections in the upcoming draft, the Charlotte Hornets can add some crucial pieces to the roster. With center being the clear position of need, Charlotte could look to use its first pick to bolster the rotation. One intriguing prospect is Alperen Sengun, who at 18 years old won the MVP of the Turkish Super League. Sengun is strong in the pick-and-roll, which would make for a good fit alongside LaMelo Ball. Having drawn comparisons to Nikola Vucevic and Domantas Sabonis, he would make for a high-upside selection for the Hornets. He will need to improve his three-point shooting (19% on only 21 attempts this past season), but his 81% free-throw percentage suggests that he has a good shooting stroke and can improve his three-point shooting. Sengun is playing for the Turkish Olympic team this summer, so his availability to work out for NBA teams depends on Turkey’s performance in the Olympic qualifiers. If Turkey fails to qualify, then he will travel to the United States and participate in the pre-draft process. If Turkey advances, then he will be competing in Tokyo in July and into August. Either way, Sengun’s status is worth monitoring going forward.

More from Draft

Shooting will be another area to address this offseason, as Charlotte finished in the bottom third of the league in field goal percentage this past season. Two prospects who have been projected to be available near the 56th and 57th picks are Matthew Hurt and Quentin Grimes, from Duke and Houston, respectively. Hurt was named the ACC Most Improved Player for 2021 and made the All-ACC first team while shooting 44% from three and 56% from the field. A former five-star recruit, Hurt has good size at 6’9″ and 235 pounds which should help his transition to professional basketball. Grimes was an All-America third team member while averaging 17.8 points per game on 40% shooting from three. Another former five-star recruit, Grimes has shown that he has the potential to develop into a solid NBA player.

Another situation worth monitoring is that of Arnoldas Kulboka, the 55th overall selection of the 2018 draft. Kulboka has spent the past two seasons in Spain, with a stop in Las Vegas as part of the Hornets’ summer league team. A scenario that could play out would be Kulboka joining the team on a two-way contract for the upcoming season and spending time in Greensboro with the Swarm.

Charlotte has also been rumored to be in the market for a center via free agency, with players such as Andre Drummond, Jarrett Allen, and Richaun Holmes being mentioned as potential targets. Drummond has proven himself as a rebounder but may not be the ideal fit for Charlotte offensively. Allen is intriguing, but Cleveland appears likely to retain him as their consolation from being involved in the James Harden trade. Holmes is coming off the best season of his career but is reported to be seeking a 4 year, $80 million deal, which would eat up most of Charlotte’s cap room.

An interesting situation to watch will be the New York Knicks, who have both Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel entering free agency this offseason. While Robinson is coming off a foot injury that prematurely ended his season, he is the younger player and may be viewed as a longer-term piece for New York. The Knicks have a team option for Robinson, while Noel is entering unrestricted free agency, making him the more attainable target. While he has not lived up his status as the 6th pick in the 2013 draft, Noel anchored a stout Knicks defense and averaged 5.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game as a starter this past season. Still only 27 years old, Noel would not take up too much cap room and could provide a solid rotational piece while Charlotte prepares Sengun to be its starting center in the future.

Projected depth chart

Starters:

PG LaMelo Ball

SG Terry Rozier

SF Gordon Hayward
PF Miles Bridges

C P.J. Washington

Active Roster (15 man) Bench:

Devonte’ Graham

Malik Monk

Jalen McDaniels

Nerlens Noel

Cody Zeller

Alperen Sengun

Caleb Martin

Cody Martin

Vernon Carey Jr.

Nick Richards

Two-way contracts:

Arnoldas Kulbolka

Quentin Grimes

G-League (Greensboro Swarm):

Grant Riller

Nate Darling

Matthew Hurt

Next. Why the Charlotte Hornets have the brightest future in the NBA. dark

Home/Hornets News