Terry Rozier’s new deal still keeps Charlotte Hornets on the right track
By Jason Huber
With other players either recently signing extensions and others expected to, locking down Rozier is smart business
Rozier’s deal eliminates Charlotte as a potential landing spot for a big free agent next season. The Hornets would have been one of a handful of teams with a large amount of cap space in the summer of 2022, but Rozier’s new deal begins then and with Gordon Hayward also taking up $31 million for the year, Charlotte will have its hands locked up.
Charlotte isn’t a huge free-agent destination. While Ball and the plethora of young talent on the roster have made the Hornets slightly more appealing, the fact of the matter is that general manager Mitch Kupchak shouldn’t rely on a big free agent get.
Kupchak has said many times that Charlotte will likely be built through the draft and trades.
With many of the 2022 potential free agents like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Luka Doncic already locking up long-term extensions, the class won’t be extremely deep.
A few of the most notable names if they don’t sign an extension will be Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook, and Bradley Beal.
It’s unlikely that any of those guys will come to Charlotte, and when you factor in that Rozier would have been one of the better unrestricted free agents in the class, the value looks even better for the Hornets.
Starting next season, Rozier will be just the 23rd highest-paid guard in the league next year based on current overall salaries, according to SpotRac, which actually lines up with how he’s performed, if not worse.
Most importantly, the Hornets can now focus on their own free agents getting deals with Miles Bridges and PJ Washington’s rookie deals expiring soon.