S&T With New Orleans: The Devonte Graham Thread

[Rays Pompadour]

Kemba was gone when he made All NBA. The Hornets were prepared to offer the max before that, but was not going anywhere near All-NBA money. Getting Rozier was a zero-sum move at market value for a starting point guard. Graham's emergence doesn't change the facts of the summer.

Graham is the product of 4 years of development at the college level, with a major program, playing at a high level since his sophomore season. His 2nd round draft status is the result of a bias toward perceived upside. It's become a trend to wait until the second round to pick up college seniors with 'limited' upside, hoping to gain immediate production (or bench strength) from a more developed prospect on the cheap. The G league has made that dynamic even more of a good bet.

What's surprised is Graham's shooting. Once he adjusts (painfully, probably) to the physical rigors of regular minutes at the NBA level, I suspect his shooting will sustain. That's a good thing for the Hornets who have landed on a prospect who is nearly fully developed and producing.

[yosemiteben]

The Hornets were prepared to offer the max before that, but was not going anywhere near All-NBA money.

Reports say they didn't offer him a max, so I'm not sure I buy this. We could have matched what he got from Boston.

[BigSlam]

If you were to offer Tae a contract today, what would you be comfortable offering him (years and salary)?

[316Hornets]

If you were to offer Tae a contract today, what would you be comfortable offering him (years and salary)?

Little less than we offered Kemba, 4 years 120 million. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm just comparing him to some of the other guys around in the league and think there is going to be big demand if he was a free agent. Is Devonte really that much different than Bradley Beal? I don't think so.

Now, if I wasn't competing against another team to sign him, I'd probably try to get him to sign for 20 mil a year.

[fatlever]

same as rozier

[Chapelchilla]

same as rozier

But he is better then Rozier so I don't think that will fly. I'm thinking 5/125 and see if he bites on it.

[DY_nasty]

same as rozier

But he is better then Rozier so I don't think that will fly. I'm thinking 5/125 and see if he bites on it.

he's a second round pick he can't get that much can he?

[Braggins]

same as rozier

But he is better then Rozier so I don't think that will fly. I'm thinking 5/125 and see if he bites on it.

he's a second round pick he can't get that much can he?

Some of these takes definitely seem overboard to me.

I wouldn't even be comfortable making any offer until I see at least a full season from him. If I had to make an offer right now I definitely wouldn't go any bigger than Roziers contract. Yeah, hes probably better than Rozier, but Rozier is also overpaid.

I guess letting Kemba walk because they didn't want to pay him 35 mil and then spending 40+ mil on two worse PGs while the team is even worse would be pretty on brand for the Hornets.

Can't believe the guy you responded to wasn't sure if hed bite on a 5/125 offer. He might tear every ligament in his wrist trying to sign that contract offer as fast as possible.

[yosemiteben]

I missed the story on this thread name, what's with golden showers?

[fatlever]

we first started calling to thread Golden in reference to the snack Golden Grahams and the fact that he's been The Golden Child. Then last week when he had the 40-point barrage and he it like five threes to end the game, Slam jokingly referred to it as a golden shower in the the game thread. So now whenever Devonte starts going bonkers from Deep it's referred to as a golden shower. Pretty hilarious if you ask me.

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[Buzzzz]

Devonte has struggled since the 40 point game, teams are obviously paying him more respect and hes struggling to adapt. Him improving his jumper from inside the 3 point line will help.

[316Hornets]

Devonte has struggled since the 40 point game, teams are obviously paying him more respect and hes struggling to adapt. Him improving his jumper from inside the 3 point line will help.

Well, teams already have the Kemba blueprint so they probably aren't changing too much off that to guard Graham. We are in the same boat as last year where someone else has to step up to get the shooter some space. Rozier did that last night, but until we have multiple weapons, any shooter is going to struggle unless they are just a Greek Freek or a Bronze Beast.

[-Ian-]

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All-Development First Team

Devonte’ Graham, Charlotte Hornets

If Graham were a Laker or Knick, he would be heralded as a messianic figure. Because he’s a Hornet, he’s instead compared at every turn to former Charlotte mainstay Kemba Walker, or Walker’s would-be replacement Terry Rozier. Graham may have usurped that title before Rozier ever had a chance to claim it. Although the two start and play together in the Hornets’ micro backcourt, it’s Graham—who didn’t even look like an NBA player as a rookie last season—who now leads the team by most every reasonable measure. It took just two years for Graham to go from a second-round pick to the engine for a modern offense. Only two other players have created more points by way of assists this season, and only Harden has made more 3s. You really cannot overstate that sort of transformation. Graham has completely changed the course of his career and emerged as exactly the kind of breakthrough talent the Hornets were desperate to find.

[_tijo_]

Golden Shower? Uhhh... don't google that. Maybe consider a different thread title.

[SWedd523]

Golden Shower? Uhhh... don't google that. Maybe consider a different thread title.

Penis

[Chapelchilla]

But he is better then Rozier so I don't think that will fly. I'm thinking 5/125 and see if he bites on it.

he's a second round pick he can't get that much can he?

Some of these takes definitely seem overboard to me.

I wouldn't even be comfortable making any offer until I see at least a full season from him. If I had to make an offer right now I definitely wouldn't go any bigger than Roziers contract. Yeah, hes probably better than Rozier, but Rozier is also overpaid.

I guess letting Kemba walk because they didn't want to pay him 35 mil and then spending 40+ mil on two worse PGs while the team is even worse would be pretty on brand for the Hornets.

Can't believe the guy you responded to wasn't sure if hed bite on a 5/125 offer. He might tear every ligament in his wrist trying to sign that contract offer as fast as possible.

He can sign for whatever the market will bear as an unrestricted FA second rounder once our team control ends (I think we have an option for next year). If he continues to progress over the next year and half that I think we have him already under contract for, I would think that 5/125 for a quality starting PG just entering his prime would be fair all around.
In that scenario Rozier would be traded and/or entering his last year while we would have ditched the bad contracts of Batum, MKG, Marv, Cody and Biz. A young core of Devonte, PJ, Bridges and Martin plus 2 more drafts of hopefully good picks and add some well chosen FA's and we could be pretty nice. That would be a nice new "Brand" for the Hornets.

[Liver_Pooty]

Last 10 games not including his 1-8 start tonighy hes shooting 33% from the field.

[SWedd523]

Last 10 games not including his 1-8 start tonighy hes shooting 33% from the field.

More of a Lead Shower these days

[MasterIchiro]

6-21 tonight with 5 turnovers. Not hating on him. Teams have come down hard on him and the Hornets lack a go-to scorer who can punish teams for smothering him. Rozier is not there yet.

[Rich4114]

Let’s not go crazy with the 5/125 stuff here. Make no mistake he’d get a huge contract but I would put it closer to Terry’s than 5/125.