Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has undergone successful surgery to address a chronic groin strain, the team announced Tuesday. Kidd-Gilchrist is expected to be ready for training camp.
Kidd-Gilchrist had a rather disappointing 2018-19 campaign. The 25-year-old averaged a career-low 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in just 18.4 minutes per game. He shot 47.6% from the field and 34.0% from 3-point range. He appeared in 64 games and started just three after being a mainstay in the Hornets' starting lineup since he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2012.
Kidd-Gilchrist has a $13 million player option for next season, and he's almost certainly going to opt in. Given this injury and his down season, he wouldn't get that kind of money annually on the open market.
Kidd-Gilchrist's disappointing season was part of another postseason-less year for Charlotte. The Hornets went 39-43, two games behind the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons. Charlotte has missed the playoffs three seasons in a row after making it in 2015-16 with 48 wins.
The Hornets could look quite different in 2019-20. Kemba Walker is set to be a free agent, and he might want to leave if he doesn't think he can win in Charlotte. Underperformers on sizable contracts like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, among a handful others on the roster, are just one reason why Walker might be looking to play elsewhere.
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