Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams reacts to an official’s call during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. Nell Redmond USA TODAY NETWORK
As hard as it may be to fathom, the NBA’s true offseason tips off in less than a month with the NBA Draft followed by free agency.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Charlotte Hornets go about reconstructing their roster to halt the league’s longest current layoff drought, and there are plenty of questions surrounding the team.
In this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about what moves the Hornets could make, Tre Mann’s potential contract perspective, about the franchise’s constant injury woes and expectations for Tidjane Salaün and more.
Injury woes
Dan Cava asks on X, formerly known as Twitter: There’s a constant feeling over the last 5-ish years that we rarely have our “intended players“ available due to injuries. It’s often enough that it starts to beg the question: How much of that is bad luck, and how much of that do you think is other factors?
In the seven seasons yours truly has covered the Hornets, there’s been no shortage of injuries for sure. Without a doubt, it’s been the common theme that’s destroyed season after season. Honestly, it’s just been a crazy string of bad luck. Almost as if someone has some kind of spell over the organization. At times it’s the way it feels anyways.
Injuries pile up, and they always seem to happen to the team’s best players, which makes it awfully difficult to eat to compete when you have three games in five nights and you don’t know who you’ll have available on a given day. You can’t really blame the training staff, as it was swapped out a year ago for a new performance team. So that, once again, shows just how weird things get with the Hornets. While some more prevention core work could help, it’s really awful luck.
Next Taj Gibson?
@KellRichar2 asks on X: Do you see them bringing in any vets to mentor the young guys ?
Absolutely. Now, exactly who or how many is tough to give a specific answer. But it would be shocking if the Hornets didn’t believe it’s important to have someone else to take on the role Taj Gibson how to provide better veteran leadership and guidance.
With a young team with core players who are still trying to learn how to win and be successful professionals and stay focused, having a veteran voice in the locker room makes it easier for coach Charles Lee’s message to get through. Not bringing in a veteran would be a serious disservice if the team is trying to build a sustainable winning culture.
Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) during pregame warm ups against the Golden State Warriors at Spectrum Center. Jim Dedmon USA TODAY NETWORK
Tidjane Salaün
@HornetsBeliever asks on X: What is the team’s realistic expectations for Tidjane in Year 2?
First and foremost is his continued development. He’s still a teenager, believe it or not, and is learning plenty of small details about the game and how it is played, especially on this side of the pond. How he fits in Charles Lee’s rotation will depend on what the roster looks like later this summer. He should be a piece of the puzzle, but the Hornets also have to resist any urge to rush him along, sacrificing his long-term future for short-term gain.
If it’s better for him to play heavy minutes in the G League for Greensboro early on his second season instead of spot duty off the bench with the Hornets, then that’s the route they should take and not deviate from that plan. Salaün’s confidence grew as the season went on and his shot from deep showed more promise. A lot will depend on how he looks once training camp rolls around in the fall.
Tre Mann’s contract
@3_stings asks on X: Do you think Tre Mann signs the RFA tender for one year or signs a longer term deal, like three years, $30 million?
That’s a great question, and a lot of it will depend on how Mann feels about his health. In speaking with Hornets coach Charles Lee in Chicago, it seems like Mann is on his way to recovery. It’s rare for players to sign a tender and forgo a long-term deal akin to what Miles Bridges did. If Mann is confident and believes that with a good season — proving he’s healthy — could command more dollars next summer, then inking the tender and betting on himself is a move he could definitely make.
It’ll be intriguing to see if he thinks it’s wiser to take a short long-term deal after missing so many games with the back injury and teams potentially questioning whether he’d be a good signing beyond a year or two.
Back injuries are tricky, and there are no guarantees. But Mann’s situation will have a bearing on the guard rotation and how they want to build that position moving forward.
Biggest need
@Din0Red asks on X: What moves do you think the Hornets will make this offseason, if any?
Something has to happen with their big-men situation. It feels like there is still a need to sort things out after Mark Williams trade was rescinded. Their depth and inside versatility took a hit when they sent PJ Washington to Dallas, and they haven’t completely found a similar answer.
The Hornets could really use a player who is comfortable playing center or power forward, and hit the outside shot. In this humble opinion, it’s something that would massively benefit the team and help restore some of the lost interchangeable parts to give them more options at some of the critical positions.
The Charlotte Observer
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly. Support my work with a digital subscription
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