The Charlotte Hornets free agency recap consists of a few notable events, including one with their superstar point guard. The Hornets had an interesting free agency period, as it started a few days earlier than most teams. The world was notified on June 29th that Kemba Walker would be leaving the Hornets to join the Boston Celtics via sign-and-trade. Walker’s deal will be a four-year, $140 million max contract.
Free Agency Recap for the Charlotte Hornets
Although the Hornets struck out on re-signing Walker to a long-term deal, they didn’t completely lose out. In a sign-and-trade with the Celtics, the Hornets received Terry Rozier in return for Walker. The Hornets inked Rozier to a three-year, $56.7 million contract that will decrease in value over time. The first year is valued at $19.9 million, then decreases to $18.9 million and then $17.9 million.
“Nobody is going to outwork him. Nobody is going to play harder than him. He’s a great worker,” Hornets’ general manager Mitch Kupchak said to The Charlotte Observer.
Kupchak also went on to say that Rozier was worth the money that he deserved. He thinks his contract is “perfect” for the team in comparison to other point guards in the league.
Losing out on Walker also meant other players would be leaving to test the market elsewhere. The Hornets lost out on wing Jeremy Lamb when he committed to a deal with the Indiana Pacers, for three years valued at $31.5 million.
Furthermore, the Hornets decided to renounce the rights of Frank Kaminsky, making him an unrestricted free agent. This lead to many teams contacting him and ultimately deciding on a deal with the Phoenix Suns. Kaminsky’s contract is a two-year, $10 million deal. Kaminsky finished the year strong for the Hornets, and it is no surprise that many teams were gaining interest for the stretch big. Kaminsky will get a chance to revive his career in Phoenix and will be more of a contributor on the roster.
With three contributing players leaving the roster in the past week, it’s obvious the Hornets are entering rebuild mode. The Hornets will be testing their roster for the next few years and keeping a close eye on Rozier to see if he will be their point guard of the future.
Although the Hornets free agency was short and sweet, there are big changes coming to the team. Expect the Hornets to develop Malik Monk and Miles Bridges as their young talent for the future as the team looks toward a new era while remembering the mistakes they made with their last superstar.
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