Sam Thompson knows his plan B – being a financial analyst at major investment firm.
But Thompson, who went undrafted this year after four seasons at Ohio State, is still working on Plan A.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders:
Former Ohio State player Sam Thompson will go to training camp with the Charlotte Hornets, according to league sources.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) August 15, 2015
To be clear, the only way for a player to attend an NBA training camp is with an NBA contract.
Thompson will give Charlotte 17 players for 15 regular-season roster spots. He’ll likely compete with Elliot Williams ($80,000 guaranteed) and Aaron Harrison ($75,000 guaranteed) for the final spot.
The 6-foot-7 Thompson is an excellent dunker, and he uses his athleticism fairly well on defense. His unpolished ball skills – shooting, dribbling – are big negatives for a small forward, though.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hornets are just signing Thompson for an extra body during training camp. They have no D-League affiliate, so they can’t waive him and sign his D-League rights.
But with Nicolas Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in line to start, Charlotte has no natural small forward off the bench. There’s little difference between either wing position, so shooting guards like Jeremy Lamb and P.J. Hairston could easily play down. But Thompson’s size could provide a different dimension and give him a chance of making the team.