Hornets coach James Borrego has developed a notable recruiting pitch for impending free agents this summer, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Charlotte is slated to have a respectable amount of salary-cap space after the season, allowing the Hornets to consider multiple talents who are set to reach the open market.
“I feel like basically every guy we’ve drafted has shown some real promise for us,” Borrego explained this past week, as relayed by Bonnell. “What that leads into is what an attractive place this could be for free agents moving forward.”
The Hornets have a proven track record of developing talent, currently sporting a young core that consists of Devonte’ Graham, Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington and more. Charlotte showed flashes of potential with its young nucleus before the NBA’s hiatus. However, the Hornets were just 23-42 on the season — good for the sixth-worst record in the East.
“Absolutely!” Borrego said when asked if his team’s pitch could attract free agents this summer. “Players are looking at (salary) numbers and years — that’s a major factor — but they want to go to a place where they can maximize growth and development. We’re putting a good body of work together to show that.”
Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:
- Heat center Bam Adebayo chimed in on social media amidst the NBA’s hiatus, as relayed by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Adebayo understandably expressed clear boredom with the league being suspended indefinitely. The 22-year-old has averaged 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 65 contests on the season.
- Ira Winderman examines the week that could’ve been for the Heat in a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, including the rematch between Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren on March 20th. Miami has enjoyed a successful season to date, owning the fourth-best record in the East at 41-24.
- Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington examines what different Wizards players are doing during the NBA’s hiatus. As Miller notes, many players are enjoying personal activities such as playing video games, watching movies or watching TV shows.
More must-reads: