Josh Green trade looks even worse for the Hornets after the Olympics

The Charlotte Hornets have not made the playoffs since 2016, but they are building a young core to break that drought. Brandon Miller has future star written all over him, and LaMelo Ball is a unique talent with some injury questions. Charlotte embraced a youth movement this offseason and even acquired Josh Green from the Mavericks in the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade.

Green has shown flashes in Dallas. His minutes kept climbing and his jumper improved. Green’s shooting was arguably his biggest question mark coming into the NBA, but he has made 39.3 percent from long range over the last two seasons combined. The 23-year-old brings passing, energy, and a connecting style off the bench that can provide a spark. He still has room to grow, but Charlotte bought low on a talented player.

Green played for his native Australia in the Olympics where the Boomers were knocked out in the quarterfinals. The Aussies have been one of the world’s best teams in recent years, but they struggled in Paris. Green failed to impress, and his performance may induce some worry in the Hornets and their fans.

Josh Green trade looks worse for the Hornets after the Olympics

Australia won their first game in Paris over Spain with Green playing 22.2 minutes. The 6’5 wing failed to score, but he dished out four dimes and was a plus-17.

Things sharply declined from there. The Aussies lost three straight games, and Green’s minutes dropped in each contest. He played just one second in their quarterfinal loss to Nikola Jokic and Serbia, and Joe Ingles was the only Australian not to appear in the game.

Perhaps Green picked up an injury in the tournament, but Australia was playing Matthew Dellavedova and Jack McVeigh over him by the end of the Olympics. Delly hasn't played in the NBA since 2023, and McVeigh is a 28-year-old NBL player that just signed a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets.

Josh Green appeared in all four games but failed to score in Paris. He averaged 1.3 assists and 0.5 rebounds in nearly 11 minutes per contest. That is an awful stat line, and it is not like Australia had insane depth on the wing. There were minutes available, but Green failed to secure them.

The 6’5 wing is not a scorer, and Mavericks fans know he can go missing for long stretches of games. Green is becoming a better spot-up shooter but often tries to get others involved. He may need to up his aggressiveness in Charlotte if he wants to play consistent minutes.

It was a forgettable Olympics for Josh Green, which did him no favors with his new team. The 23-year-old must report to training camp with his sights set on earning a nightly role. It won’t be given, and Green needs to be significantly better than he was in Paris. Hopefully, the Olympics turn into a small sample size aberration as he reaches new heights with the Charlotte Hornets. Only time will tell.