Grading the 2019 NBA offseason for all 30 franchises

Charlotte Hornets

For as painful as it may have wound up being, it never made sense for the Charlotte Hornets to re-sign Kemba Walker. Doing so would require a supermax contract worth roughly $221 million over five seasons.

Given how low their ceiling was with Walker — through no fault of his own — that massive figure would only plunge the franchise deeper into mediocrity.

So, as it looked like they would part ways with their all-time leading scorer, ideas began to formulate regarding what the Hornets would do to move forward.

It was a fresh start for a team in desperate need of one, having not crossed the 50-win barrier since reclaiming the Hornets name, but also one that hadn’t fallen lower than 11th in the conference standings.

Most teams might sink to the bottom of the standings in the hopes of landing a top pick or maybe take on unwanted salary in exchange for draft compensation. What only Charlotte would do is dole out $58 million over three years to a relatively unproven and erratic point guard.

One could make a loose argument that after serving as a backup for the better part of his entire career that Terry Rozier is ready to burst onto the scene in a bigger role. Even if that were the case — which is HIGHLY debatable –, his talent doesn’t justify a yearly salary of nearly $20 million.

No. 12 overall pick PJ Washington did not suit up for a minute of Summer League which makes it hard to assess an early verdict.

The Hornets were afforded the chance to start fresh. Instead, they proved content to remain in a middle ground that provides little to no paths for an exit in either direction.

Grade: D-