The Charlotte Hornets are likely going to say goodbye to DaQuan Jeffries soon, as there is no more room for him on the team, barring a blockbuster trade before the regular season begins.
The Hornets currently have 18 players with standard contracts, and they must whittle it down to 15 anytime before the opening of the regular season. Aside from Jeffries, the guys who will most probably be gone soon are Pat Connaughton, who could be a valuable asset for the organization if only it had enough roster space, and Nick Smith Jr., who may have whiffed on his chances to establish himself in Charlotte.
Unfortunately for Jeffries, there are not many grounds for the Hornets to guarantee his contract for the 2025-26 campaign, unlike Moussa Diabate, whose contract for next season has also yet to be guaranteed but has given them enough reason to hold onto him for at least one more year. So, the 28-year-old shooting guard could soon exit Charlotte, and there might not be enough fanfare surrounding the move, given the nature of his deal.
DaQuan Jeffries has had an uneven Hornets tenure
Perhaps Jeffries is already appreciative of the chance to continue his NBA career last year, as the New York Knicks had already declined his team option for the 2024-25 campaign when they had to include him as a sign-and-trade piece in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster trade. Then, injuries to Charlotte's core players meant more playing time for him.
The University of Tulsa product suited up in a career-high 47 games, averaging 22.8 minutes per contest, also his career-best. He also notably made 20 starts. However, he was unable to capitalize on the biggest opportunity he has had since going undrafted in 2019. He ended the regular season logging 6.7 points per match on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.5 percent from 3-point range.
As a silver lining, Jeffries had a six-game stretch in March where he put up double-digit scoring five times, averaging 13.7 points per contest, which included recording a career-high 20 markers.
Maybe if the Oklahoma native showed potential to be a 3-and-D wing for Charlotte, the front office would have been more inclined to treat him as a long-term piece. Sadly, he couldn't compensate for his inefficient outside shooting with even just a decent defensive showing. Jeffries finished with a defensive rating of 120, ranking among the worst on the Hornets.
It's worth pointing out that he actually registered a worse defense as a starter. So, it's safe to conclude that his defense might not hold up when tasked with more minutes.
It's unclear if we will see Jeffries again in the NBA. However his career turns out, Hornets fans should be thankful for him for helping hold down the fort last season when Charlotte had to navigate through an injury-riddled year.