Charlotte Hornets: 3 players not likely to return in 2020-21
2. Willy Hernangomez
It was surprising when the Knicks sold low on Willy Hernangomez at the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline, less than a year after the center made the All-Rookie First Team. In the subsequent seasons, it’s become more clear that Hernangomez’s issue in the NBA would be finding a consistent role.
Hernangomez has now played in 111 games with the Hornets, but has only started four of them, including none this season. He has also never averaged more than 14.0 minutes per game with the Hornets, struggling to carve out regular work in the rotation, despite a lack of elite big man options for the Hornets.
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His numbers on a per-36 minutes basis show the makings of a regular rotational piece in the league. This season, those numbers show averages of 18.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Of course, that doesn’t make a difference if Hernangomez is barely hitting the floor for a third of those minutes – he’s averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season, both lows of his Hornets tenure.
The Spaniard is still a relatively young player, set to turn 26 years old at the end of May. He should be a regular backup somewhere in the league, maybe even a spot starter for a team that’s looking for some of his 6-foot-11 height. As a pending unrestricted free agent, it doesn’t make much sense for the Hornets to pay the man.