NBA Notes: Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Bulls, Kevin Huerter, Nuggets

Hornets

Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, the buzzwords in Charlotte’s camp will be “availability” and “player development.”

Injuries wrecked last season, as the Hornets used 36 different starting lineups and ranked second in missed shots.

LaMelo Ball has played more than 60 games just once in five seasons and has missed at least 25 in each of the past three. Brandon Miller suited up for only 27 games before right wrist surgery shut him down, and the trio of Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges started a mere seven games together.

Charlotte also leans heavily on its young core. Seven players are on first- or second-round rookie deals, including Tidjane Salaun, last year’s No. 6 pick. As a rookie, Salaun averaged 21 minutes but shot just 33 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three.

Roster decisions loom as well. The Hornets already have 15 guaranteed contracts, with Moussa Diabate sitting on a non-guaranteed deal. He started eight games at center last season and is expected to be part of the rotation.

Diabate’s salary protection jumps from zero to $250K on Oct. 22, while team options for Salaun (third year) and Miller (fourth year) are due Oct. 31. Extension candidates include Collin Sexton, Grant Williams and Pat Connaughton.

Bulls

In Chicago, the primary storyline is who will win the starting small forward job, according to Marks.

The Bulls cleared one potential distraction when restricted free agent Josh Giddey signed a four-year, $100 million deal in early September. That leaves an open competition between Kevin Huerter and Isaac Okoro.

Huerter was a difference-maker down the stretch last season, averaging 32.3 minutes per game from March 1 and posting a team-best plus-7.9 during a 15–3 run.

Okoro, acquired in the Lonzo Ball deal, brings physical defense but less floor spacing.

Chicago also faces contract deadlines. Dalen Terry’s extension window closes Oct. 20, and Matas Buzelis’ third-year team option decision is due Oct. 31.

Extension candidates include Nikola Vucevic, Terry, Julian Phillips, Jevon Carter, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Zach Collins.

Nuggets

As Marks notes, Ben Tenzer’s first year running basketball operations in Denver has already brought significant change.

Tenzer was promoted to executive VP after GM Calvin Booth and coach Michael Malone were dismissed on April 9. Since then, Denver has traded for Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, and signed Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Next up: rookie extensions for Christian Braun and Peyton Watson. Braun logged 33.9 minutes a night, starting 77 of 79 games, and has now topped 75 games played in three straight seasons. He joined Dyson Daniels as the only players in the last two years to boost their scoring average by more than eight points per game.

Watson set career highs across the board and was a plus-11.7 per 100 possessions alongside Jamal Murray, Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic.

Denver has been aggressive in retaining core players — as Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Murray, Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have all been extended since 2022.

This time, extensions for Jokic, Johnson, Braun and Watson are due Oct. 20, while team options for Julian Strawther (fourth year) and DaRon Holmes II (third year) come on Oct. 31. Extension candidates also include Hunter Tyson and Jalen Pickett.