Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has seen his role shrink on the Hornets four straight seasons – from typical starter to moderately used starter to moderately used backup to out of the rotation.
Now, he’ll leave Charlotte entirely.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Reporting with @espn_macmahon: Charlotte is finalizing a contract buyout with F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Dallas has emerged as a possible destination once MKG clears waivers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2020
In the final year of a big contract extension, Kidd-Gilchrist is due $4,994,350 the rest of this season. He could earn $835,331 on a rest-of-season minimum contract elsewhere. Both amounts decrease daily. So, we’ll see how much he relinquishes to join a better team.
Kidd-Gilchrist is a good defender who plays hard. The forward can fill a niche. A former No. 2 pick, Kidd-Gilchrist just hasn’t developed enough offensively. He’ll gum up spacing as a non-shooter.
The Mavericks already have Dorian Finney-Smith as a defensive-minded forward. But Finney-Smith can make 3-pointers, too.
Kidd-Gilchrist would add depth in Dallas. If that’s where he lands, just don’t expect him to play much.
