Hornets News: Venue upgrades, Swarm add experience, Bridges and Ball updates

Several weeks from now, the Charlotte Hornets will open their training camp and provide fans with a glimpse of how the 2024-25 season will fare for a team hoping to join the list of Eastern Conference contenders.

Some folks might also be excited to see the new upgrades to Spectrum Center, which underwent renovation starting earlier this offseason. The $215 million project will be completed in 2026, although the first phase will be done before the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

Meanwhile, the Hornets added some key people to the front office and coaching staff to help shape the team's future. And two of their biggest names made news recently.

Phase 1 of the Spectrum Center renovation is halfway done

The organization happily announced on social media that Spectrum Center is weeks away from welcoming the Hive back.

Aptly called "RE!magine Spectrum Center," the beautification project officially broke ground in late May.

Some of the enhancements included in the first phase are the renovation of the Uptown Concourse, specifically the Dr. Pepper Pavilion and The Nest fan section, the upgrade of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), signage, lighting, and flooring, and improvement of concessions experience. Changes at the Suite Level, Trade Street Entrance, and Event Level are also to be expected.

It appears the renovations are on track to be completed by October, which should bode well for Hornets fans raring to be back inside the arena again.

The Hornets continue to upgrade their personnel

The 2024 offseason has been quite busy for Charlotte, with new general manager Jeff Peterson finalizing the front office structure in mid-May. However, the 35-year-old executive, who also serves as the executive vice president of basketball operations, apparently made a couple more moves recently.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Hornets have brought in Ryan Lambert as director of amateur scouting. The decision should strengthen the franchise's ability to locate top talent. Lambert had previously worked for the Oklahoma City Thunder, a squad renowned for its impressive scouting.

On the other hand, Charlotte has reportedly hired DJ Bakker to take over its G League team, the Greensboro Swarm, with James Edward III of The Athletic among the first to break the news.

Bakker is set to replace Jordan Surenkamp and will bring with him tons of coaching experience. He had previously worked as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. Prior to working under former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, the Indiana native served as the coach of the Detroit Pistons' G League squad, the Motor City Cruise.

Miles Bridges earns recognition from HoopsHype

On the player front, Hornets forward Miles Bridges surprised some folks when HoopsHype ranked him highly — 12th, to be exact — in its list of top power forwards for the 2024-25 campaign.

The 2018 lottery pick has become a polarizing figure ever since his off-court issues came to light. Some fans didn't even want Charlotte to re-sign him this offseason, considering the severity of his offenses against his ex-girlfriend.

Even so, there's no denying that Bridges is a talented player, enough for HoopsHype to place him ahead of other power forwards, including Jerami Grant, Tobias Harris, and Draymond Green.

Puma introduces LaMelo Ball's new signature sneaker

Arguably the Hornets' top draw, LaMelo Ball's star is seemingly continuing to shine brighter, as evidenced by Puma releasing the star point guard's fourth signature sneaker.

The Puma MB.04 shoe will be officially released on the market this fall. The "LaFrancé" colorway looks fantastic with its light blue and cool mid gray palette, which is said to be a testament to the 2022 All-Star's unique style.

Some fortunate kids have already gotten hold of the footwear, as Ball dropped by at Simmons YMCA to conduct a meet-and-greet and gift the young hoopsters with a pair.