The Charlotte Hornets will be continuing their endless rebuild with a new cast of characters ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Mired in mediocrity for the better part of – well, their entire existence – the Charlotte Hornets are looking at yet another critical offseason following the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign. They appear destined to miss the postseason again should the current season resume, seven games behind the Orlando Magic in the loss column with just 17 games to go.
Last offseason, the Hornets essentially substituted Kemba Walker out for Terry Rozier, a decision that went about as expected, considering their individual prestige. Still, the drop off from last season was much steeper than expected, begging questions about the future of the team’s young core.
While the team likely wants to keep most of their young players, it may be time to start making difficult decisions about who can be a building block for the future and who can’t. Charlotte will also have three draft picks to bring into the fold; a lottery pick and two second-rounders.
The one player virtually guaranteed to return in 2020-21 is Nicolas Batum. His Hornets career has been nothing but a bust, but with a $27.1 player option next season, there’s almost no way Batum goes anywhere else.
Owner Michael Jordan’s relentless drive has been documented ad nauseam over the past few weeks with the airing of The Last Dance on ESPN. It’s hard to imagine him tolerating the mediocrity of his team much longer – big changes could be ahead. Here are three players who likely won’t be forging ahead with the team next year.