Report: Hornets waiving former lottery pick

The Hornets have decided to part ways with former lottery pick James Bouknight, who will be placed on waivers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charlotte has to make multiple cuts after the team agreed to trade Gordon Hayward for three players and P.J. Washington for two.

The 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bouknight never developed into a reliable rotation player for the Hornets, averaging 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game across 79 career appearances. His shooting line during that time was just .363/.335/.762.

Bouknight also had some legal troubles after making his NBA debut and has battled injuries. The 23-year-old underwent surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee in October, which delayed his debut this season.

The Hornets declined their fourth-year option for 2024-25 on Bouknight, so he’s on an expiring contract and will count against Charlotte’s cap for $4.57M in ’23-24. The team won’t be on the hook for any money for him beyond this season.

Bouknight will be eligible to sign with any team after clearing waivers.