Charlotte

Hornets

Despite rumors that Washington was seeking around $20 million per year, Charlotte was able to retain him for an average of $16 million annually. Washington is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but his starting spot isn’t a guarantee with the return of Miles Bridges. He’ll likely be competing with Gordon Hayward for backup forward minutes, with Bridges and rookie Brandon Miller starting at the three and the four. However, with Bridges suspended for the first ten games of the season, Washington should be the starter on opening night.

The 28th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hunter has plied his trade overseas since his last appearance in the Association back in 2019. Most recently, he played for Sydney Kings, where his 2021-22 season was cut short by a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. According to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer, Hunter’s deal for the 2023-24 season is not guaranteed. Hunter’s addition to the Hornets’ roster is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

The 31st overall pick in last month’s draft, Nnaji still hasn’t come to terms on a contract with the Hornets. One of the most athletic big men in his draft class, it remains to be seen if the Hornets will look to bring him over now or look to leave Nnaji with Barcelona for another season. If he were to make the move to the NBA in the fall, he would join a lengthy list of young big men looking to establish themselves in Charlotte. While Mark Williams and Nick Richards are safely in the rotation, the same can’t be said for Kai Jones or JT Thor. Getting fantasy value from Nnaji during his rookie season will be difficult to do, even with Jones and Thor not offering much in their respective NBA careers to date.

Bailey capped his Summer League experience with a quality performance, shooting 50% from the field and falling one steal shy of a full stat line. And this effort came on the heels of the 41st overall pick signing a two-way contract. While Bailey does have promise as a pro, it’s going to be difficult for him to earn rotation minutes in training camp. Charlotte still has Terry Rozier on the roster, while former lottery pick James Bouknight should have every opportunity to show that he can take on rotation minutes after two disappointing seasons.

McGowens had some solid games towards the end of last season, but he hasn’t been able to do much this summer. He had a solid performance in this game after Brandon Miller was shut down for the summer, but it’s unlikely that it translates into anything during the regular season. McGowens is a solid player, but he isn’t someone to consider for fantasy.

After struggling through his first two seasons, Bouknight got off to a slow start this summer. He had a solid finish to the regular season after Charlotte pulled the plug, but this was the first good game that he’s had this summer. Perhaps it’s not time to write him off completely, but aside from this game, Bouknight hasn’t given us much reason for optimism.

This is the type of performance we needed to see from Miller. He was a dominant offensive force in this game both with the ball in his hands and as an off-ball threat. It may not have been enough to get a win, but this was an encouraging performance for him. Miller has faced plenty of criticism this summer, but if he can play like this, he’ll make Charlotte fans very happy.

Smith Jr. may have slipped in the draft after being expected to be taken in the lottery, and Charlotte may have gotten a steal. He hasn’t been much of a playmaker, but he has showcased a natural scoring ability. His talent was on full display in the fourth quarter when he scored 18 in the fourth quarter alone. Smith Jr. won’t have to do much playmaking in Charlotte with LaMelo Ball there, but he could end up being part of their rotation if he can be this dangerous of a scorer.

Despite having multiple former five-star recruits and lottery players on their roster, it has been an ugly summer for the Hornets. Smith Jr. was able to flash his upside in this game, but the team only scored 75 points. He slipped to the late first round after initially being projected as a lottery pick, but his play thus far has lined up with where he was drafted. He’s still young, and he played better in this game than some of his teammates, but he has an uphill climb to become part of their rotation behind LaMelo Ball.

Many have been overly critical of Miller, and he has certainly had his fair share of struggles this summer. However, there is a reason that he was selected with the No. 2 pick, and that most media outlets had him as a top three prospect in this draft. The efficiency should improve as he plays more games and gets to play alongside the players on their regular season roster. It’s easy to overreact during Summer League, but it’s important to have patience with these young guys.