The Charlotte Hornets roster got smaller following Thursday’s final preseason game. Three players were waived on Friday, bringing the roster to 17 players under contract. Depending on the details of their contacts initially conveyed by the Hornets, the players in question will either head to Charlotte’s G-League affiliate or continue their NBA journey elsewhere.
Hornets Waive Three Before Regular Season Tip-Off
Harry Giles III, Charlie Brown Jr., Keyontae Johnson—Waived
The Charlotte Hornets closed out their preseason in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, bringing their preseason record to 2-3. The Hornets are entering a new season under new leadership in the coaching ranks and, most importantly, returning a healthy LaMelo Ball. Getting two wins out of five in their preseason isn’t a bad start for the new head coach, Charles Lee. However, the regular season is a different animal. Undoubtedly, Lee is relieved to have Ball back in the fold.
However, roster moves can also prove disappointing at this time of year. Three players who played preseason minutes found themselves in the waiver waves by Friday morning. According to a team press release, the Hornets subsequently waived Harry Giles III, Charlie Brown Jr., and Keyontae Johnson following their final preseason game in Indiana. Giles, Brown, and Johnson were all featured in the game, playing 12, 21, and 24 minutes, respectively.
Contract Details, G-League Possibility & NBA Experience
The waiver decisions could send any or all of these players to Charlotte’s G-League team, the Greensboro Swarm. However, Giles and Johnson were playing on non-guaranteed training camp deals, so their future is foggier at this time. Still, both players were signed on Exhibit 10 deals in September, so they may end up with the Swarm yet.
In Brown’s case, he will be owed $2,237,692 for the upcoming season, all of which is guaranteed. So, assuming the former undrafted shooting guard out of St. Joseph’s goes unclaimed, Charlotte will have his salary on their books as dead money. Going undrafted in 2019, Brown signed a two-way deal with the Atlanta Hawks. He has since spent time in Oklahoma City, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York, and now Charlotte.
Giles has several years of NBA experience on his resume. Last season, he split time with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers to close out the season; however, he did not see much playing time with either team and averaged just 2.4 points per game. As for Johnson, he spent last season with OKC’s G-League team, the Blue. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
Johnson appears likely to land with the Swarm. The same goes for Giles. However, Brown’s time with the franchise now looks likely to be over. There is now just one player on the Charlotte Hornets roster playing under a non-guaranteed deal—DaQuan Jeffries. He is currently out due to injuring his hand during a preseason game against the Miami Heat. His future is also unknown; however, given that he was not included in the group of waived players on Friday, Charlotte may have plans for him on their NBA roster.
