Offseason 2025 Thread

[vorbis]

I think with Mark Williams it was both injury and ability. they decided they didn't like his play and on-court impact enough to even make a bet on his health. cut bait. right or wrong, I think that was the thinking.

[Bassman]

When I see the list of center FA’s still available, and Thomas Bryant is on that list, I just cringe further. Bryant isn’t any team savior, but many weeks ago the Hornets miss on whatever they thought they could do, and seemingly panicked by signing one of Cliff’s favorites. Bryant is younger, a better rebounder and defender than the 34 year old Plumber.

WOULD SECURITY PLEASE HELP CLIFFORD GATHER HIS THINGS IN A CARDBOARD BOX AND EXIT THE BUILDING?

[MasterIchiro]

When I see the list of center FA’s still available, and Thomas Bryant is on that list, I just cringe further. Bryant isn’t any team savior, but many weeks ago the Hornets miss on whatever they thought they could do, and seemingly panicked by signing one of Cliff’s favorites. Bryant is younger, a better rebounder and defender than the 34 year old Plumber.

WOULD SECURITY PLEASE HELP CLIFFORD GATHER HIS THINGS IN A CARDBOARD BOX AND EXIT THE BUILDING?

Jeff is his boss. The buck stops there. Doesn't have to listen to Clifford.

It's Peterson who described his conversations with Clifford (in Brooklyn) as "magical". If Clifford is behind Salaün and now Plumlee, Jeff only has himself to blame because he's the one who made the final call.

[MPM]

When I see the list of center FA’s still available, and Thomas Bryant is on that list, I just cringe further. Bryant isn’t any team savior, but many weeks ago the Hornets miss on whatever they thought they could do, and seemingly panicked by signing one of Cliff’s favorites. Bryant is younger, a better rebounder and defender than the 34 year old Plumber.

WOULD SECURITY PLEASE HELP CLIFFORD GATHER HIS THINGS IN A CARDBOARD BOX AND EXIT THE BUILDING?

Frustrating for sure. Bryant can hit the three, board, and block shots a bit. Pretty ideal as a reserve 5-out big.

[Snidely FC]

If you’re talking missed opportunities to me one of the biggest disappointments of the summer was signing DrewP over Hall. String bean combo forward even if he can hit 3s not gonna help us the way PJs power game could have. Kon + PJ had real chemistry. To me DrewP feels even more surplus to requirements than our pile of guards.

[fatlever]

Read on Twitter

id disagree in the sense that, assuming moose plays 30 mpg, moose wont be the reason our defense is bottom 8. in fact, he might be the only thing preventing it from being bottom 3. moose might hurt the offense playing big mins, but he wont tank the defense. the 1 thru 4 positions will be what keeps our defense bottom 8. there's maybe 5 centers in the entire league that could anchor that core and get them into the top 15.

[HornetJail]

I think he was making two different points- 1) that we have no C worth anything, and 2) the entire rest of the team isn't defending my 95-year-old grandmother. Not that Moose was the rest our defense is trash

Hard to disagree with either point. Every player on this team is either worthless offensively, worthless defensively, worthless on both ends, or a rookie TBD

[Bassman]

Lowe said:

"Charlotte's the most interesting of those... could they get to 37 wins kind of upside if they had any center that I would like to give NBA minutes to?"

"With apologies to Moussa Diabate, who hustles, gets lots of rebounds, and is good... in a bit role, and any roadmap that I could see anywhere to not being one of the 8 worst defenses in the NBA. I just see no pathway for them to be a competent defense at all, and I think they are still looking at the long lens."

I just have my doubts that Moussa can give us sustained production with higher minutes against the best of the league night after night. He showed bursts, and you can play stats games with his numbers, but it’s not like CLT won games regularly with Moussa on the court for significant minutes. Even with our best starters, he’s limited in his ability to pass, and a major liability trying to shoot with any range. Good things on D and some shot blocking, can battle and finish low, or off rebounds. But Lowe sees it, and no amount of hopium will convince me he’s ready to be our main guy for this season.

[Bassman]

OK Jeffie…here’s your star calling for a real center back in 2022 (from Slam magazine, after the season ended in a play in loss). They draft Mark Williams just afterwards. Are Melo’s words from 3 years ago not resonating with you and Charlie?

So, last year we were in the play-in. This year hopefully we get in the playoffs, win a first round, something like that. Just keep going up from there. I just feel we’re like a big away. One that can clog up the whole paint, rebound. Put that bitch in my hands [and] let me rock! That’s how I be feeling. And then we’re gonna be straight.”

[Diop]

for those smarter than me, what would a Green buy out look like?

just in case we need to trim a guard in a hurry. no stretching, just paying out. would it just be like carrying his contract this year and next?

[GoBobs]

I think we need to give Green and Salaun a chance to look different in a role more aligned with their abilities.

Green can be a disruptive defender even if he isn’t a good defender. He shot 39% from 3. He can give us a good 15-20 min per game when he comes back.

[GoBobs]

The other option with Green is to put him in a trade. Between Sexton, Green, and whoever we want to throw in, we can match a lot of salary.

[Diop]

i was just trying to look at all options. just in case we desperately needed the roster spot in a hurry

ideally Green looks like a solid rotation player during the year and gets traded.

[MasterIchiro]

Shams

Golden State wants a promising young player and a first-round pick in any Kuminga sign-and-trade deal.

[HornetJail]

I promise that Josh Green is young and that next year's worst of 4 teams 1sts is, by definition, a 1st round picks

[MasterIchiro]

Shams

Golden State wants a promising young player and a first-round pick in any Kuminga sign-and-trade deal.

Kuminga also wants a feature role with his new team.

[MasterIchiro]

I promise that Josh Green is young and that next year's worst of 4 teams 1sts is, by definition, a 1st round picks

Just to entertain the idea...

Melo - Miller - Kuminga - Miles - Moose

Sexton - Mann - Kon - McNeeley - Kalk

Kind of looks like a small bench.

[Chapelchilla]

Kuminga could kinda replace Miles but I don't know how much of an upgrade that is on the court (maybe off it too?). I don't know if he is going to help that much.

[HornetJail]

I do not see him pairing well with Miles at all. Like we'd survive a few minutes with them together, but Kuminga would be our 5th leading scorer. He's not getting "featured" anywhere that isn't outright tanking, or Phoenix.

[JDR720]

I view Kuminga as a higher upside Miles replacement.

Then we could trade Miles for a center.