Despite going 27-55 during the 2022-23 season, it was clear to see that the Charlotte Hornets had talent on their roster. LaMelo Ball has proven to be one of the best point guards in the entire league, Terry Rozier has been a great complimentary guard in the backcourt and Charlotte has a lot of youthful talents that are only going to get better with time. PJ Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. also proved to be two key contributors who led this team a vast majority of the year as they dealt with injuries.
It took a while, but after close to three months, Washington and the Hornets agreed to a new three-year contract worth upwards of $48 million. As a restricted free agent, the former 12th overall pick did not see much interest from rival teams on the open market, especially since his team could match any offer that came his way. Looking for long-term security and a deal worth more than $15 million annually, Washington's hold out this summer ended up working in his favor.
On the other side of things, Oubre remains unsigned with the start of training camp less than a month away. Still just 27 years old and coming off of a career-year with the Hornets, it is very surprising to see Oubre as an unrestricted free agent with September about to start.
Oubre has made a positive impact on the offensive side of the floor on every team that he has been a part of and he's proven to be a focal point for Charlotte the last two seasons. After signing a two-year, $24.6 million contract with the team in 2021, he averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor.
Just this past season, Oubre built on this success with his new team, averaging a career-high 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor. His overall minutes increased and with Ball sidelined, the veteran wing ended up as Charlotte's primary scoring option for a chunk of the season. The 48 games he played in were the least he has played in his career, though, as he had surgery in January to address a torn ligament in his left hand.
There is no denying that he brought a positive impact to the Hornets the last couple of seasons, but with new ownership taking over and the team recently bringing back Washington on a new three-year deal, Oubre's time with the Hornets may be over.
Evaluating Charlotte's roster
There is a lot to like about the direction the Hornets are heading in. LaMelo Ball is an All-Star talent they can build around for many years to come, and their two additions on the wing in Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges will help take a lot of pressure off of Ball.
Miller was the second overall pick by Charlotte in the 2023 NBA Draft and Bridges returns to the team after sitting out a year due to domestic violence charges. Bridges is set to serve a 10-game suspension to start the new season.
Veterans Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward also remain on the Hornets' roster entering the 2023-24 season, but question marks surround both players. Rozier will be turning 30 in March and the team recently drafted Nick Smith Jr. as a possible long-term replacement. For Hayward, he is entering the final year of his contract and has dealt with a lot of injury concerns since initially agreeing to his four-year, $120 million deal with Charlotte.
Players like Nick Richards, Cody Martin and Mark Williams round out the depth on this roster, as they are all still growing and looking to solidify their roles with the organization.
What this team looks like at the beginning of the new season is not how they will look at the end of the year, as the Hornets are definitely in a position where they can be aggressive at the trade deadline. Whether this means they will “buy” players or “sell” them is unclear at this time, but Charlotte owns moveable contracts, and experienced players like Rozier and Hayward can possibly be leveraged for future assets.
Pertaining to Oubre and his status as a free agent right now, the Hornets do not have any open roster spots. By signing Washington, Charlotte now has 16 players on their active roster ahead of training camp. Frank Ntilikina, who the team signed this offseason, has a partially guaranteed contract for the upcoming year, and both Kobi Simmons and JT Thor have non-guaranteed contracts. If the team was to waive Simmons and Thor, they could technically open up a roster spot for a player like Oubre.
Then again, this would create a logjam on the wing with Hayward, Bridges, Miller, Oubre and Washington. It is also worth mentioning that Oubre is not looking for a minimum, one-year deal, which is why the Hornets would be forced to utilize their $12.4 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to keep him. This would result in the franchise entering the season with no cap space and inching closer towards being a team that has to pay taxes.
The Hornets have always looked to remain well below the tax lines and utilize their cap space instead of being big spenders. Maybe the new ownership would instill a different approach and mindset in the front office, but as things stand right now, Charlotte's roster is full. Signing Oubre would result in a much greater bill for the organization to deal with, something a team coming off of a 27-win season may not be interest in.
Possible destinations for Oubre
At this point in the summer, almost every NBA organization has turned their attention to the upcoming 2023-24 season. They've made their moves in free agency and the next few weeks are all about figuring out who they want to give training camp and two-way contract offers to.
In fact, over half the league has at least 15 players on their roster right now. Of the few teams that do have an open roster spot, not many of them have the ability to offer more than a minimum contract to any player still available.
The New Orleans Pelicans are an intriguing team to consider for Oubre given the talent that they have on their roster and their mindset of wanting to be contenders in the Western Conference right now. Although they have about $10.6 million available with their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, enough to possibly sign the veteran wing, the Pelicans are hard-capped and their total salaries for the upcoming year cannot exceed $172 million. Right now, their cap number stands at about $168 million, which is why they probably cannot make a deal for Oubre work.
While they currently have more than 15 players on their roster, the Memphis Grizzlies are another intriguing team to keep an eye on in the Western Conference. Memphis was active this offseason, adding former league MVP Derrick Rose in their backcourt, as well as 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics. Even with all the moves they made this offseason, the Grizzlies still have access to their $12.4 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
All 17 players on the Grizzlies' roster have their contracts guaranteed, which means the team will carry some dead cap with them into the new season as a result of two players being waived. Of course, this is assuming that they do not trade one or two players for roster relief. With Dillon Brooks leaving in free agency and Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension, Memphis has a need for offensive production, specifically on the wing. This is a hole that Oubre could fill, immediately helping the Grizzlies contend at the highest level possible.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are two teams in the West that have open roster spots, but neither has expressed interest in Oubre this offseason. In order for either team to sign him, Oubre would have to be willing to accept a minimum contract, something he is not actively looking for.
In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks are a team that could wind up changing their roster over the course of the upcoming season. It is unlikely that they will waive anyone on their roster to make room for a new face this late in the offseason, but they do have access to their $12.4 million mid-level exception and the Hawks have been involved in a lot of trade rumors lately. Pascal Siakam is a known target of theirs and center Clint Capela has seen his name mentioned with other teams. Any trade the Hawks potentially make could open up a roster spot for a player like Oubre to fill.
While it is less than $12.4 million, the Chicago Bulls have access to $6.2 million that they could offer to Oubre. The Bulls have 15 players on their roster right now, but Carlik Jones and Terry Taylor both have non-guaranteed contracts. Chicago wants to get back to the playoffs right away and adding more secondary talent around their All-Star core will be vital to their potential success.
The only other team in the Eastern Conference worth keeping tabs on is the Philadelphia 76ers, as they continue to deal with drama surrounding James Harden. There is no telling as to how this situation will play out and if they team does decide to trade Harden, there's no clear picture as to what kind of assets they will get back. Philadelphia currently has 15 players on their active roster, but Montrezl Harrell recently suffered a torn ACL and the team may look to replace him on the roster.
Lack of overall scoring depth has hurt the Sixers in recent years and in the event that Harden is traded, this front office will be looking to prove to reigning league MVP Joel Embiid that they are still willing to make championship-like moves. Signing Oubre keeps them in a position to contend in the East and he would immediately be a source of secondary scoring.
Between contending teams and those looking to make it back to the playoffs, Oubre could prove to be an asset for many organizations. A return to Charlotte is still possible, but with Washington returning, it appears as if Oubre's NBA career will continue elsewhere.
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