The Charlotte Hornets have signed four players recently, adding more young players they can develop for their future.
Free agents Marcus Paige and Mangok Mathiang agreed to two-way contracts, and are both expected to see action in the G-League, to gain more experience and continue developing their games. Isaiah Hicks and T.J. Williams also signed with the team on training camp deals and will compete for a roster spot. Financial terms were not disclosed per team policy.
"Hard work does pay off." Mangok Mathiang on signing his two-way contract. 💪🏼 #BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/WBkwIR9zvs
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 2, 2017
"I'm excited to play with Marvin Williams and learn from him." Marcus Paige after signing his two-way contract 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/IUqEOqqYi4
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 2, 2017
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NEWS: Charlotte Hornets Sign Isaiah Hicks and T.J. Williams to Training Camp Roster#BuzzCity
👉🏼https://t.co/Ko2s2DSyMS pic.twitter.com/CzK99wHs6Z
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 2, 2017
Paige was the 55th overall pick of the 2016 draft by the Brooklyn Nets but failed to make their final lineup last year. He played for the Salt Lake City Stars in the D-League and appeared in 46 games for them. The 6-foot-1 point guard had averages of 12.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 32.7 minutes per game.
Mathiang, a Sudanese-born big man, stands 6-foot-10 and was part of this year's Hornets’ Summer League team in Orlando. He showed off his raw talent and impressed the team despite only averaging 4.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. They have seen enough upside from him and they hope he can further improve his game this season.
Hicks and Williams, on the other hand, will give head coach Steve Clifford more options to choose from on who will take the last spots in their lineup. The two may also give the guards and forwards on the team a run for their money, and make them fight for their positions with the team. However, even if they don’t make it beyond the training camp, they could also be both signed to two-way deals as well, in order for the Hornets to keep their rights, and not allow other teams to sign them.