Category: Charlotte Hornets Blog

Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) earlier today which confirmed the team’s initial diagnosis of a strained left calf. Jefferson, who suffered the injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s 87-82 win vs. Milwaukee, is expected to be sidelined for approximately two to three weeks.

Jefferson is averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game this season. The 30-year-old has led the team in rebounding in five contests and has four double-doubles in 17 games. The Prentiss, Miss. native recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 20, becoming only the second player in the NBA this season to record at least 25 points, 10-or-more rebounds and five blocks in a game. Jefferson recorded a season-high 31 points (15-of-18 from the field) and grabbed nine rebounds at Dallas on Nov. 5.

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on forward Cody Zeller.

“We are excited to keep Cody Zeller as a part of our core for another season,” Cho said. “We have been very pleased with Cody’s development on both ends of the floor and look forward to him continuing to expand his game as a member of our roster.”

The fourth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Zeller played in all 82 games of his rookie season and has appeared in 146 games total in his career (48 starts). The Washington, Ind. native holds career averages of 6.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.2 minutes per game. He saw significant statistical improvement from his first season to his second, increasing his scoring average, rebounding average, blocks average, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Despite playing 20 fewer games than his first season, Zeller posted more double-doubles, more double-figure scoring games, more double-figure rebounding games and greater season totals in rebounds, assists, blocks and minutes played.

Zeller was named to the 2014 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and participated in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend 2015 in New York, where he recorded 12 points, four rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes of play. Zeller has spent his whole career in Charlotte after playing at Indiana University. As a Hoosier, Zeller averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 29.0 minutes played per game and garnered multiple All-America and All-Big Ten honors in his two seasons there.

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed Jeremy Lamb to a contract extension.

“We were thrilled with the opportunity to add Jeremy Lamb to our roster this past summer,” Cho said. “Through the preseason and start of our regular season, Jeremy has proven to be the type of player and professional we seek here in Charlotte. We’re excited to have him as a part of the Hornets for years to come.”

The fourth-year guard was acquired in a trade on June 25, 2015, after spending the first three seasons of his career in Oklahoma City. Lamb was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and was acquired by the Thunder prior to the start of his rookie year. Lamb has appeared in 150 games (including eight starts) and holds career averages of 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. The University of Connecticut product has a career three-point percentage of .350 (139-397). On a per-36 minute basis, Lamb has averaged 16.1 points and 2.1 three-point field goals made for his career.

Lamb was an early entry candidate in the 2012 NBA Draft after spending two seasons at the University of Connecticut. He appeared in 75 games (including 73 starts) for the Huskies, averaging 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.1 minutes per game. He earned First Team All-Big East and Honorable Mention AP All-American honors as a sophomore, following up a freshman season in which he was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team, the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team and the Big East All-Tournament Team as he and Hornets teammate Kemba Walker led UConn to the 2011 NCAA and Big East Tournament Championships.

The NBA Development League and Hornets Sports & Entertainment today announced that the Charlotte Hornets have acquired the right to own and operate an NBA D-League team. The team will be located in Greensboro, N.C., and will play its 24 home games at the Pavilion at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, which will be renovated into a basketball fieldhouse, beginning with the 2016-17 season. With the purchase, the Hornets become the record 11th NBA team to fully own and operate its NBA D-League affiliate, while the NBA D-League expands to a record 20 teams.

“Today is a historic day for the NBA D-League, the Hornets and the city of Greensboro,” said Malcolm Turner, NBA D-League President. “Having a 20th NBA D-League team, and the 11th that is owned by an NBA team, is an important and noteworthy achievement. We are thrilled to welcome Hornets Sports & Entertainment into the growing family of NBA D-League owners and are excited to continue to work with the city of Greensboro to bring NBA D-League basketball to fans across the state of North Carolina. I’m already looking forward to tipping off the team’s first season in November of next year.”

“This is an important step for our franchise,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan. “Having our own team will allow us to use the NBA D-League in a more efficient and worthwhile way. By operating our own club, it will be a seamless transition for our players, coaches and front office when we assign a player because the NBA D-League team will follow the same principles and run the same sets as the Hornets. Placing the team in Greensboro also allows us to expand the Hornets’ brand to another city in our region that has a great basketball tradition.”

Four members of the current Hornets roster have played in the NBA’s official minor league – Troy Daniels, P.J. Hairston, Jeremy Lamb and Jeremy Lin. The Hornets assigned two players to develop their games in the NBA D-League last season, and they have signed 12 players from the League since the 2004-05 campaign, including 2004-05 NBA D-League MVP Matt Carroll. Additionally, Charlotte assistant coaches Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel joined the Hornets following stints as NBA D-League head coaches in Sioux Falls and Canton, respectively.

The Hornets, who began the process to acquire an NBA D-League team earlier this year, join the Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge), Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors), Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders), New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks), Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue), Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers), San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs), Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905) and Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede) as NBA teams to fully own and operate their NBA D-League affiliate.

Located 90 miles northeast of Charlotte, the Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility that includes the 22,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum; the 167,000-square-foot Special Events Center, which includes a 5,000-seat mini-arena; the 30,000-square-foot Pavilion; the 7,600-seat White Oak Amphitheatre; a 12,000-square-foot banquet facility; the 300-seat Odeon Theatre; the Greensboro Aquatic Center; and the ACC Hall of Champions. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex hosts more than 1,100 events annually and has welcomed more than 60 million guests since its grand opening.

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has waived forward Sam Thompson, center Jason Washburn, guard/forward Damien Wilkins and guard Elliot Williams.

Thompson (6-7, 200, Ohio State) signed with the Hornets on Sept. 15 and played in five preseason games. He averaged 0.8 points in 6.1 minutes per game. Washburn (7-0, 245, Utah) signed with Charlotte on Sept. 15 and appeared in four preseason contests, averaging 1.3 rebounds in 4.6 minutes per game. Wilkins (6-6, 225, Georgia), who signed with the Hornets on Oct. 16, played in three preseason games and posted averages of 5.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game. Williams (6-5, 180, Memphis) averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game in two preseason contests. He signed with Charlotte on July 28.

The team’s roster stands at 15.

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward Damien Wilkins.

A nine-year NBA veteran, the University of Georgia product has played in 563 games (149 starts) for the SuperSonics/Thunder, Timberwolves, Hawks, Pistons and 76ers, owning career averages of 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. For his career, Wilkins has shot .427 from the field (1331-3118) and .783 from the free throw line (708-904). Wilkins went undrafted in the 2004 Draft following two seasons at Georgia (2002-04), after transferring from North Carolina State (1999-01).

The Orlando native joins the Hornets most recently from Indios de Mayaguez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional League in Puerto Rico where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. Wilkins also spent part of the 2014-15 season with the NBA D-League’s Iowa Energy, logging a league-high 1,891 minutes, averaging 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 37.8 minutes per game, earning 2015 NBA D-League All-Star and 2015 All-NBA D-League Third Team honors.

In addition, the 6-6 Wilkins competed at the 2015 Pan American games in Toronto for the United States representative squad, averaging 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25.2 minutes per game, garnering a bronze medal for the USA National Team.

Wilkins is the nephew of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and the son of Gerald Wilkins, who enjoyed a 14-year NBA career with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies and Magic. Damien Wilkins will wear number 21 as a member of the Hornets.

Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The procedure was completed by Hornets team orthopedist Dr. Marcus Cook at Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital. Typical recovery time for this procedure is approximately six months. Kidd-Gilchrist suffered the injury with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter in Saturday’s preseason game at Orlando.

The 6-7 forward averaged career bests in points (10.9), rebounds (7.6) and minutes (28.9) in 55 games (52 starts) during the 2014-15 season. His 7.6 rebounds per game ranked first among all small forwards in the NBA. Last season, he registered career highs of 12 double-doubles and 35 double-figure scoring games after totaling one and 14, respectively, the previous season. The University of Kentucky product holds career averages of 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game in 195 career appearances (191 starts) in three NBA seasons.

Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a dislocated right shoulder in Saturday’s preseason contest at Orlando. The injury occurred with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Kidd-Gilchrist was taken to Florida Hospital South for x-rays and additional evaluation. X-rays taken at the hospital were negative. He will remain in Orlando overnight and is out for Sunday’s game at Miami. Kidd-Gilchrist will be further evaluated by Hornets team physicians in Charlotte on Monday. An update on his status will be provided when available.