Why is the NBA Summer League important for the Charlotte Hornets?

Jul 13, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones (23) reacts to a call during an NBA Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 13, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones (23) reacts to a call during an NBA Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Mitch Kupchak, Charlotte Hornets
Mitch Kupchak, Charlotte Hornets (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

Executive Meet-ups

This isn’t exactly your regular professional convention. While there may not be karaoke and team-building, trust-fall exercises in a hotel ballroom, the Summer League acts as the perfect time for executives to talk to one another. Remember, the Las Vegas Summer League starts on July 7th. The day AFTER the moratorium in free agency begins. What a coincidence.

In short, in addition to being able to lounge around pools and hit up the strip for dinner, Las Vegas provides executives the ability to discuss players and personnel that may be on a team and could be an important procurement for another. It’s the sport’s greatest networking opportunity for those with good relationships and future assets. Sometimes deals get made in Vegas based as much off relationships as the quality of the deal.

That doesn’t just go for players, either. Executives and coaches are people too. And everyone is looking to advance in their careers. Those coaching vacancies that seem to get filled so quickly often started off as conversations in The Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.