Hornets Stock Watch: 3 Must-signs, 3 duds from Summer League

Summer League is over for the Charlotte Hornets. They competed in the California Classic and in Las Vegas, finishing 7-1 in total but missing out on the playoffs.

Throughout the course of all competitions, some players stood out amongst the pack, while others didn’t end up doing much to impress.

Here are three Summer League players the Hornets need to consider signing and three they should let walk away. (Charlotte has two two-way spots open.)

1. Must-sign: Jake Stephens

For the entirety of Summer League, Jake Stephens looked solid. His three-point shot came and went, but it was clear that he made a good fit on this version of the Hornets.

Since neither of Charlotte’s two bigs—Mark Williams and Nick Richards—can shoot the three-ball, bringing Stephens on board makes a ton of sense.

2. Dud: Brandon Slater

The dud term isn’t necessarily fair, but in this context, it’s simply being used to describe a player the Hornets probably shouldn’t sign. Brandon Slater falls under that distinction.

He’s a nice hustle player and is very athletic, but he was very inefficient in Summer League, and the Hornets should be targeting other types of talent with their two-way slot.

3. Must-sign: Matt Morgan

Even if he’s a relatively imperfect fit on the Hornets, as he’s a small, 6-foot-2 guard, after what Matt Morgan did in Summer League, he belongs in this category of player.

Morgan put up an incredible statline, scoring 36 points while shooting a perfect 11-for-11 from the floor and 7-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc. He can score, and well enough to be worthy of a two-way spot.

4. Dud: Marcus Garrett

Marcus Garrett is a tenacious defender who could help the Hornets on that side of the ball, but his three-point shot just refuses to come around, and that’s going to hold him back.

He’s a fine player, and he could make a decent two-way player in theory, but the Hornets would have to be confident they can help him with his shot. And considering he shot 16.7% from distance in Summer League, that could be unlikely.

5. Must-sign: Zavier Simpson

During the Hornets’ eight-game Summer League stint, Zavier Simpson was one of their most intriguing players. He didn’t hit his threes at an efficient clip, but the rest of his game was solid.

Simpson’s wild hook shot is very fun to watch, but more importantly, he acted as an important playmaker for Charlotte, and he’s worth keeping around.

6. Dud: Leaky Black

This one is a bit different, as Leaky Black was a part of the Hornets last year. That said, he doesn’t seem like the type of player who will have a long-term home in Charlotte.

Black is an elite athlete, but other than that, he doesn’t consistently bring much to the table consistently, and that was unfortunately brought to light even more in Summer League.