With NBA Free Agency taking place at the end of the week, what are Charlotte’s top priorities? David Walker joins the show to set the table for the open market. Is Miles Bridges’ return a sure thing? How much leverage do the Charlotte Hornets have in negotiations? Finally, the guys play Stangin’ or Clangin’ featuring current Charlotte FA’s.
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David Walker joins us to give us a free Agency primer with it happening at the End of the week and of course a Long-awaited staying in her clang and we Get back to it unlocked on Hornets we're Locked on hornets part of the locked on Podcast Network your team every day in America we live It's locked on hornets part of the Locked on podcast Network it's your team Every day thanks for making us your First listen we are free we are Available anywhere you get your pods and That includes YouTube you can check us Out anywhere and you can check out Doug On his sub stack everyone it's box Score.com that's David Walker The Soul Man bringing the soul to the podcast Today and I'm Walker Mayo you can listen To me every weekday on WFNZ from 12 to 3 P.M free agency it's here it always Sneaks up on me I'm never ready after The NBA draft you think you get a break And you get a very very tiny one but Then it's free agency right after that And then you even have summer league to Get to So we're going to be with you every Single weekday still going up through August and then maybe we go like three Days probably four days a week something Like that so we'll keep you covered Right here on lockdown Hornets in the Lock on podcast network but Doug we got
To figure out Um what your announcement is you gave us A lot of announcements during the NBA Draft process I think you had like four Or whatever is this a special free Agency announcement it is it's a big Announcement and the announcement is That the Hornets are officially no Longer paying Nick Batum any money Now That actually that's actually a Legitimate oh man that's an important Announcement that's huge so yeah the Charlotte Hornets decided to use the Stress provision on Nick batum's Contract and it was the longest and I Think it was the biggest stress Provision ever paying someone a 9 to 10 Million dollar a year contract that's a That's a rotation contract and they're Just lighting it on fire that's what They decided to do instead of just you Know go through one more year it'd be Like extending Gordon Hayward for three Years at 11 mil or something like that Why aren't they announcing this why are You are you still it should have been a Problem yeah they should have had a Party at the Spectrum Center but here we Are uh on the verge of free agency I'm Excited I'm really I'm super stoked for Free agency I know the Hornets aren't Going to do anything but I'm still Excited well that that's my question I'm
Weird it seemed like David is a little Bit uh weirded out by that because it Didn't it didn't seem like you would be Excited because you're still the mean Personified poke Mitch cupcak and the Hornets to do something but Doug you Tell me with their cap situation and you Can explain what that is will they Actually do something Well their cap situation is they don't Have cap space unless they renounce some Of the free agency pieces that they Already have on the roster including Restricted free agents PJ Washington and Miles Bridges they've got Kelly oubre's Cap hold so if they if they renounce all That it seems like they would have Somewhere in the neighborhood of like 10 To 20 million dollars in cap space to Play with I don't think it's likely that They do that also they could work some Trade for Terry Rozier or Gordon Hayward That could possibly open up some cap Space but that's really their options if They wanted to play in free agency but I Think anyone that listens to this show a Lot knows that this team explicitly Tells us they don't want to play on this Playground they want to resign their own Free agents they want to make some they Say they want to make some Savvy trades They don't really make a lot of Savvy Trades but they say they want to and They want to build through the draft
This may be the final opportunity for This front off is to do that so it would Be strange to me if in what could be the Final year for Mitch cupjack and Company They go completely off the reservation Of what they have told us that they've Wanted to do this entire time but Anything's possible because look you Know if you take away PJ and miles and Dennis Smith Jr and Teo maladone You know they're really only left if you Had Brandon Miller to the mix they're Really only left with six or seven wrote Solid rotation pieces so they've got Some work to do Yeah I want to get to Miles bridges in The next segment I do think he's still The most fascinating piece to this off Season just because I don't know if it's A foregone conclusion anymore that he Comes back and that's just a feeling That's not what's been reported or Anything I don't know just feels weird Maybe he does come back but if he does Then I feel like it might be even with Less money than we originally expected At even lower than the 25 or 20 down From the 30 that he was set to make Before he was arrested outside of the Miles Bridges signing potentially Signing David what is the other thing You're watching for most trading Gordon Or Terry bringing back PJ what's the What's the biggest storyline outside of
Miles that you're looking at yeah I mean I think it's PJ for me those two Together have seen like they would be uh Priorities for this team and PJ Obviously especially now it seems like They're focused on wanting to bring him Back I mean I do think it's important For this team who builds through the Draft you know doesn't make a lot of Trades as Doug said two when they've Developed guys when they have rotation Borderline starter caliber players to Keep them when they can so you know I Think that would be good for the team it Just doesn't lend to a lot of exciting Uh free agent tracking uh this time of Year unfortunately but that's just never Been their MO as Doug said but you know What wasn't there Mo either using four First round draft picks or using four Draft picks in one draft or or using two First-round traffic so maybe we're maybe We are on the verge of seeing you know Some different practices they'd have to Get creative though uh as Doug laid out They'd have to get kind of creative in In some of their trading or renouncing Things hopefully no more stretching Um but uh but but just seems like They're focused on keeping the guys Closest to home in house You wanted to say something Doug well Stretching important before a workout But not great for your uh books and I
Think that's what we have to pay Attention to here is the deals for PJ The potential deal for Miles you know How will that affect the Hornet's Long-term ability to build this team With a different ownership group with a Different front office you know and That's that's the thing on PJ Washington I've I'm excited about the potential for Bringing him back because look he Improved he showed some improvement last Year he was their most reliable three And D contributor and he hasn't had any Of the off-court issues that you've had To deal with so it seems like a perfect Opportunity to sign a starter level Player uh to this roster even if he Doesn't start next year if you keep Gordon Hayward and you try to work in Brandon Miller before you work in PJ Like long term you know that's a Starting option at the power forward Position and so I would be excited by Bringing him back but if you bring him Back at too much money you're just Hamstringing yourself in 2024 25 26 for This new ownership group well and and The real thing is is there going to be An offer sheet for PJ that is 20 million Or more if you get into an 18 million Dollar a year deal I think that probably Fair for PJ on the high end Hornets Would like to bring that down a little More but they'd still probably do it
Once you get to 20 that's when it's Going to get interesting if the Miami Heat Jake Fisher told us that was a team To look at and he said he didn't have Any reporting on that being the team That was for sure going to offer PJ Something but Miami has always been Rumoredly interested in P.J Washington Something from his reporting and so Watch out for what Miami might do I Don't know their cap situation I don't Know what they'll do with Kyle Lowry I Know that's a big contract yeah so yeah If they took PJ and then PJ ball then of Course that would add to the anxiety of Hornets fans Doug yet another thing well And the millions of dollars like the the Mart like you say like one to three to Four million dollars off of a particular Contract that's going to match better For the Hornets who we know are not Going to want to go into the luxury tax Through this off season so those matter As they try to put the pieces together When you're looking at the mid-level Exception that's around Max is out at Around 12 million dollars could they Split that up into two players they've Got the biannual exception which is Around four to five million dollars They've got tools to play with but they Also have this number that they don't Want to hit on the luxury tax and all of That they want to figure out how do we
Put a roster together that can actually Go out and compete for a playoff spot That's going to be the puzzle that they Have to solve I don't know how much Trust I have that they're going to solve That in in this off season but we've got Some names you know we'll try to figure It out we'll try to figure out who they Could bring in who they could keep Dennis Smith Jr interesting Teo maladone Had some good contributions early in the Season last year he was on a two-way Deal all of a sudden they have a chance To give him an actual contract I mean Just it's it's going to be super Interesting how they navigate it all Yeah it really will be there's a lot to Account for and so we'll get to that a Little bit more so Bobby marks had some Interesting comments we can get to that Coming up next on the lockdown Hornets Podcast Just yet we'll continue to dive a little More into free agency the miles Bridges Situation what kind of money could he Get is it even less than we originally Expected after the initial drop after His arrest we'll get to that in just a Moment this episode is brought to you by EBay motors for a championship team it's All about making sure every player is a Perfect fit it's the same when it comes To your vehicle every part needs to fit Just right so the next time you need
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Than a week you have the news that oh Yeah gay Plotkin and and Rick schnall Are going to be the new owners so that Happens a week before there is Clarity That Michael will be the lead Governor Through the draft and free agency but Then as the draft is approaching they're Saying no you still have to get the Opinions and it makes sense of the new Owners that are kind of going to come in And have to deal with the ramifications Of all the decisions you make I asked Bobby about that because he was a part Of the Nets organization with Mikhail Prokarov took over in 2009. he said the NBA draft is a lot easier to go through Than free agency free agency is going to Be the one where you're making all these Decisions trying to avoid the tax what Kind of long-term money are you going to Dish out I'm and then even with the Charlotte Hornets uh unique example they Have miles Bridges or they don't we Don't know yet but with the miles thing That's going to be fascinating because He discussed how he wouldn't bring him Back for anything more than 15 million Dollars a year and he also doesn't Expect another team to extend miles an Offer sheet because they just don't want To deal with the problems Does Charlotte view this as an advantage To where they can just get miles on a Low contract 60 million compared to the
Third he would have made 60 in two years In two years before he was arrested so Do they view this as an advantage if Other teams aren't going to extend him That offer sheet that's what's going to Be fascinating David do you have any Clue what could happen with miles or any Idea what you would throw at what the Hornets might do here No the only thing I'll say as I mean as Rod Boone mentioned yesterday he said Lock it in basically that he would be Back Um but there wasn't a figure attached to That but I think your point is valid as Is Bobby marks is that it's he's almost Radioactive it feels like at this point I mean no one didn't mentioned miles Bridge's name uh the entire season I Just wonder how fast they will do Whatever they're going to do they've had What two years it seems like to think About this like how fast will they tie Up the miles deal get that settled if it Is to come and then and then move on to PJ or vice versa I'm not sure but that's An interesting thought you have because Uh yeah it doesn't seem like there would Be a ton of teams vying for miles but You never know I mean some some other Teams are going to try and win uh but But it seems like if it's weird to put That as an advantage for the Hornets Just because of all the surroundings and
And now they're going to view Entanglements yeah yeah but I mean they They are going to view it that way so Um you know I If they can get an advantage they should Probably use it regardless of how they Got it you know what I mean What do you think Doug I think people took a mitch cup checks Avoiding the miles Bridges conversation During the post-draft press conferences As maybe some indication that this Wasn't a Surefire deal I don't take it As that I think that Mitch cupcak wanted To avoid that conversation just like he Wanted to avoid the Brandon Miller off The court conversation which is why we Got that strange question he there was Questions and answers and they answered And the questions were answered you know We got that weird response it was all Because he didn't want to talk about it He didn't want to ruin the Vibes of Draft night with any kind of Miles Bridges conversation that he probably Would get in trouble if he had before July 1st anyway and so I don't take it As that I do think that this is going to Happen at some kind of figure that they Don't have a ton of control over Necessarily unless I think the the miles Bridges Camp would be smart just to wait And see if any offers came in you do Never know I mean there is some
Uncertainty there we'll get the Qualifying offer and then I think there Will be some number uh that that again Is hopefully You know some margin lower than 25 Million dollars because that's only Going to help the Hornets acquire other Talent uh through free agency or or Through trade uh so you know hopefully They play this they play this smart they Play this right yeah and and you're Right the silence shouldn't indicate That he's not coming back because They've been silent this entire time I Would still bet on it I guess the reason For me I I just didn't realize that There were actually a couple of Different routes this could take what I I had operated under the assumption that Miles would come back to this team and He'd probably get 20 to 25 million Dollars and closer to 25 million because Other teams might view miles as a talent That they can get for a contract that is Not worth his on-court value and in fact A deal for the team signing them but if Bobby marks who is tapped in but not With everybody like I don't want to Overreact to that comment but I do want To seriously consider what he's saying If he's if he's discussing the idea of Of no team giving it giving him an offer Sheet because they just don't want to Welcome that it might be different for
The Charlotte Hornets who have been Dealing with this over the last year and It's just like all right well we'll just Kind of let this thing play out and then He'll come back but if another team Decides that they don't want to enter The conversation and they just let him Go with the Hornets then what will be Interesting is that at that point it Does become The Hornet's problem and They do have a they do have control over The value of what miles is going to go With and then miles doesn't have any More leverage because the leverage miles Would have would be hey these other Teams want me and they want to get me For 20 million what about you Charlotte Well the offer sheet hadn't come in we Got to see it and then we have three Days to react to that so are we really Talking about 15 a year are we really Talking about a contract that would pay P.J Washington more than what you would Pay miles Bridges and that's going to be Fascinating to see how it plays out and Run one more thing Bobby even talked About like the idea of Miles only Signing a one-year deal yeah and then Trying to yeah yeah and then resurrect His value and then you know see so That's the leverage so that's the Leverage that miles would have is to say Look if you don't want to get to my Number I just signed the qualifying
Offer I play the one year and then There's going to you have to now deal With the pr ramifications of bringing me Back and you you don't even have any Long-term security which is what the Hornets like to sign their own free Agents or at least this iteration of the Team likes to do that because it's it's Their way of attaining long-term secure Value that improves over time Uh in a way that's their advantage over Teams that can go out and just free will Spend and bring in free agents and Assemble super teams their their Advantage is not in signing guys to One-year deals their advantages to Signing miles for three or four years so So that would be the leverage that's What's gonna regardless of what Bobby Marks would or would not do my baby boy Bobby marks what's going to push his Value up is the idea that the Hornets Can secure him for multiple years and They they view his talent as only Rising What do you think David yeah it's just Going to be fascinating we don't know What conversations if any have been had Right I mean everyone's been completely Silent on this thing for the better part Of a year and a half or a year I guess Now at this point but miles went without A paycheck too right he was not under Contract I mean last year he was not Collecting a paycheck from the NBA so at
Some point he's going to try and you Know recoup some of that Um the one or like a two-year deal kind Of makes sense but you know I just don't Know how the Hornets are going to uh Approach this do they want to go through This whole thing a year from now and Have to battle out other teams David That's an underrated point because the The and we don't know what his Financials are but look the lifestyles That that players and people that have a Lot of money the lifestyles that they Lead need to be funded and so that could You know that's this is where the Negotiation happens that that's the Leverage I think that the team has is Understanding hey as Walker said there Are no other offers out there if that's What actually happened And you know this is an opportunity for Him to fund a lifestyle for the next Three to four years so there is Long-term security for Miles Bridges as Well which could push the number down That's that's why I think it's going to Be somewhere between what Bobby would do And what you know maxes out what the Hornets would do at like 25 to 15. That's why if it came in you know at 18 To 20 that would make a lot of sense to Me because look the Hornets have some Other gaps to fill they've got to find Some play making but I cannot do another
Season of Terry Rozier at the point Guard I just simply cannot do it I don't Think fans could do it I don't think This team is a playoff team if you've Got to play Terry at point guard for any Portion of the Season uh they've got to Find some additional shooting they've Got some needs here that they got to Fill and so I think they need to take Care of this mile situation quickly Don't you guys think that probably They've earmarked something I mean They've had this kind of sitting there On their balance sheet on their for like A year right I mean this Gap it's not Going to be where it was but it feels Like they can kind of play with that Space you know as as time went on I Don't know I mean I don't I would love To hear the thinking behind this if we Ever get that but they have to have they Have to have it's been taking this into Consideration well it's naive to think That the the first that on July 1st will Be the first time that this organization Miles's team have had a conversation now There are extenuating circumstances like The amount of offers if any come in Via Restricted free agency so you know I Don't think that number is locked in but Yeah I mean I don't I I think it would Be naive to think that this will be the First time they start to think about it With miles's Team I know we got to get
Going the last thing I'll say about this Is when you have miles Bridges off of The books Let's just say that he is only Going to sign the one-year deal and you Talk about that being the leverage for Miles instead of the Hornets the fact That he can sign something to a one or Two year deal you are talking about Paying lamelo ball 207 million dollars On this rookie Max extension over 200 Million is going to be a lot of money PJ Washington I if he gets the high end that's going To be a lot of money too some of these Draft picks like miles Are coming up some of these big time Contracts now you don't have to worry About the 2019 contracts right now or no Excuse me not the 2019 the 2021 Contracts with James book Knight and Kai Jones those first round pay contracts They are not set to make a lot of money But Mark Only in a second year you would still be Able to come back and and get that I Just wonder if they they find all right Brandon Miller Mark Williams lamello Ball PJ Washington that's going to be The foundation even if we're young and Then we want to use this other free Agent we want to use this other cap room With Gordon only having one more year Left on his deal trading Terry Rozier Don't know what kind of the salary match
Is going to be and I don't know if that Would end this season or Beyond whatever But there's a lot of different routes They can actually play with as far as The in-house decisions right that's What's going to be fascinating all right Let's go to one more segment coming up Next lockdown Hornets It's been a while but we bring it back Time for staging or clanging it's coming Up in the final segment of lockdown Hornet All right before I get to stinging or Clang and Doug what are some names that You have out there that the Hornets Could pursue on the open market well I Think you got to look at that mid-level Or bi-annual level and so Bobby marks Had a list of uh names of players that You know may hit that number Sweet Bobby Doing a lot of our work today well That's fine uh you know our baby boy Bobby marks we love him uh we thank him Today uh you know in terms of their own People you know I think they've I've Said this many times if they don't find A way to resign Dennis Smith Jr then I Don't know what we're doing it's he's He's a playmaker he's somebody that Enhanced your defense greatly last Season was a an impact player on the Defensive end and you you've got to find A way to bring him back but he has some Injury concerns of his own so I don't
Think that fully solves the depth piece In terms of play making there are some Interesting names out there in terms of Play making I would look at uh possibly Kobe white although I think he may be a Little too expensive for the Hornets you Know I think the Bulls are going to work Hard to bring him back uh Max druce is More of a you know kind of guard forward But does offer some play making as well You know the point guard I say point Guard depth is not huge in this free Agent Market that's why Taylor maladone If you're looking to just bring him back If if that deal makes sense Um that that could be something Dennis Schroeder also a name uh that have we Floated around several off-seasons now Could offer some play making as well but That doesn't solve your shooting woes But there are some names there as well Yeah the play making will be because Brandon Miller is the secondary Playmaker but now with the point guard Deck depth or or lack thereof that will Be something you wonder I can't do it I Can't do it Walker I cannot do another Season of slotting Terry Rozier in for An injured uh lamello and Dennis Smith Jr if we go through that again I just Can't you've got to find somebody that's A third you know point guard Teo makes a Lot of sense if you don't want to go out On the open market well David by the way
Go ahead David go ahead yeah I was just Saying they've all of a sudden got a Kind of a glut of the guards that aren't Really point guards you know like that's Exactly yeah yeah so so so I don't know And and we don't know I mean Nick Smith Jr is you know playing in summer league We'll see how he does there but um of Course you've got those guys there that You know you've got your your Cody's and Your um and your Bryce mcgowans and like But I'm saying those are not going to Solve your problem right you know at the Point guard or necessarily really you Know they're kind of in-betweeners so They're still going to have to and They've got a bunch of them right and Book night you know who knows what's Gonna happen been there so that they've Got that that part that they've still Got to figure out and and trying to add To on the point guard end well here's Another name speaking of guys that I Don't think solve your play making issue Here's another name I've seen floated Out a ton is Seth Curry I just don't I Mean other than the local angle I don't They need shooting there's no doubt About that but I just don't understand Why you would spend your mid-level money On Seth Curry uh over some of the other Options that you would have that dude How do you feel about that it doesn't I Mean
Not only is he a good shooter but his Career three-point shooting percentage Is 44. i that's it's really good it's a Really good three-point shooting Percentage but I'm with you I do want Some play making as well Um all right Doug what do you have Planned for us today on staying in or Klingon well I just saw we'd very Quickly run down the list of names of Current free agent and current free Agents for the Charlotte Hornets and Their chances of staying with the Franchise and just staying in or Clanging we say staying in they're Staying we say clanging they're going And then we give a little reason why Um so David if you want to kick us off We'll go with the guy that we talked a Lot about in the second segment miles Bridges sanging or clanging Yeah he's staying and I think it's been In the works for a long time now uh Anything could happen but it seems like That's been their their uh their game Plan ever since it was their game plan Prior to not being their game plan so It's been a rocky road but I think we'll Finally get resolution to that uh this Coming uh off-season free agent maybe It's just a I'm a little more Enlightened to it and haven't thought About it in previous months as much but There are a lot more Avenues to take
Here than I originally gave attention to At the end I do think he's staying in And I think the Charlotte Hornets have a Chance Um a very high chance of bringing them Back I'm gonna go three for three here And say staying I think there is because There is some uncertainty there's a Small percentage chance that it's Clanging but I'm I'm in agreement Stang It all right Kelly ubray Junior staying In a clang and David This one kills me because I've enjoyed The time with Kelly ebrey Jr but it Feels like he's headed to be clanging uh Just based on getting squeezed out a Little bit and some of the things they Have to fill in on their roster uh and He doesn't really you know the play Making piece to your point Doug he Doesn't really fill that hole as much as He does Hold on you were you were hedging a Little bit there I just want to make Clear it's zero like he gives you zero Play making like his assist percentage Is on you know the blue orange uh scale On cleaning the glass it's as dark blue As it gets it's like you know deep ocean Blue in terms of assist percentage it Gives you yeah and it kind of stinks too Because I think he wants to be here he Does which you know but I just think and Maybe they'll work something out but it
Feels like he's gonna get squeezed out Yeah we float around zero sometimes but Still assigning it value just little Value no there is zero it we mean zero a Separate like when you go to cleaning The glass he is in the zero percentile On cleaning the glass when it comes to Play making doesn't pass hey earned a Lot of respect for me in the second half Of this past season the guy that was Cheering on his teammates and losing Basketball games I I really like what You got from him from a personality Standpoint I think there are too many Other question marks I think he's Playing and he's not coming back yeah Clang in for sure and it is sad because He he does want to come back he Explicitly said that but I think he's Gonna I think this is best for him it's Best for the Hornets it's best for him He's going to go find a place where he Can slot in a little bit better he Developed a great relationship with Steve Clifford too who really believed In him and gave him a lot of Responsibility and he did a lot of good Things and and helped you know the last Season could have been it was bad and And it resulted in a good thing and the Number two overall selection but it Could have been an absolute nightmare With players tearing each other apart in The media tearing up the coach like it
Could have been like a really toxic Situation and I think Kelly oubre's Leadership in the locker room was in Poor for the Hornets and something in Free agency that they're going to have To address they've got to find some some Locker room presences as well that can Come in and help this team yeah I mean Uh Mitch cupcaka said that explicitly Saying all that though it's clang and Brandon you know Brandon Miller's that Draft pick really sealed the deal uh Kelly Uber I think is is out okay let's Move on to Teo maladone was on a two-way Contract Could provide some point guard depth Only 22 years old was was really on his Way out of the NBA and the Hornet Scooped him up late in the offseason Last year and was a surprise you know Addition for the Hornets staying in a Clay and David Yeah I'm gonna go clanging on this one Too I just think they'll look to bolster That just a little bit more he did serve Some good minutes for the Hornets though Another another uh example of them kind Of just finding something off the scrap Heap and getting some valuable minutes Out of them but I just think they'll try And do a little bit more with that Position Walker this is a tough one We're going stanging
Oh don't feel good about it but you know What it's it goes to the point I wanted To make David made it first great job You drafted Nick Smith in the backcourt You have a whole bunch of combo guards At lamelo's down who's running the Offense outside of Teo that you feel Best about it's Dennis Smith Jr I know He's going to get more money if he comes Back I need a ball handler I need Somebody and that's a cheap one I'm Going I know that's the thing that's the Thing he's making so little money I'm Going stinging He's making so little money and the Hornets were Savvy and not feature well First of all they saved money last Season by not featuring them and but but Also they sort of hit him under a bushel Like you know he wasn't doing a lot of Stuff late in the season so uh you know I don't think a lot of teams are going To be clamoring for his Services I love Teo I think he's he already knows the Offense uh Steve Clifford had good Things to say about him through the Season I think it is a cheap option and It allows them to use some of those Exceptions on some additional shooting At the guard forward position there's Another name out there Joe Ingles who Gives you you know a couple of Threes a Game and some play making as well I mean There are all kinds of these little
Names that they could add uh value to The team and shooting and Leadership and If you go ahead and take care of that Playmaker position on the cheap I think That's the best move so I'm gonna go Staying in for Teo meladon as well let's Move on uh real I'm going to end with Two good ones so let's go to this one That's going to be immediate we can be Very quick here hanging I think I'm going with another clanging On that one it was good times though it Was good times not my SUV I know I know I just not enough room I don't think uh Klingon unlike what he was doing in the Last five games of the Season he was not Clinging he was all sorts of staying in But he's not coming back he was staying But Steve Clifford said it you you can't Fall in love with these players who when Given all of a sudden given a lot of Minutes suddenly start to play Super Well at the end of the season when There's nothing to play For You Can't Get You Can't Get Fooled by that and Give those players you know bigger Contracts so I think Steve's gonna have To go somewhere else and and back up the Su's fee there I'm gonna go clang it as Well let's go to Dennis Smith Jr Stang In her clanging will the Hornets bring Back uh their defensive Presence at the Point guard position oh that's it for me Stang and yeah just the defensive
Presence uh and the push he made and I Do think he probably uh I enjoy being Here too I mean they gave him prizes Last shot ought to be in the league and So I think he's appreciative of that I Think or I'm sure he is and the team Really uh found value out of him and I Mean who else are they going to put back There at point guard right now Especially if uh maladon does not return But yeah I think he was so good for this Team I think he can't turn into a little Bit of that uh locker room veteran Presence for him too so yeah I hope they Do bring Dennis Smith Jr back with the Expectation of more offensive help Around him and I think that's really Going to help so yeah I think staying in Uh even if they didn't I think you'd be Staying in but the fact that you do have Some more offensive help on the way just Guys hopefully not getting as injured I'm going to say that there's a very Good shot of him coming back yeah he um Brings a level of intensity to this Hornets team that they that this young Team desperately needs to see you know That that's that's my thing like the Defense yes the steals yes the on ball Like attacking defense that's all great But I love the intangibles as well when When he beat his old team Dallas late in The season to keep them out of the Playoffs he said we put their bleep in
The dirt like we the Hornets desperately Need more of that attitude okay and That's why I want to see them bring back Dennis Smith Jr and why if they don't I Don't think they're really serious about Making the playoffs next season but I'll Give what little faith I have left in Mitch cup Tracking Company I will invest It in this Stang and that they do bring Back Dennis Smith Jr and then finally PJ Washington stanging or clang it oh yeah It's staying I think he's probably Turned into their number one priority at This point the known quantity uh they Want to keep those guys in-house and he Had his best year last year so they're Going to want to bring him back Especially their only big guy right now Who can step out and shoot right am I Forgetting someone that they brought in So uh you know they're maybe they look Dad in that area too but PJ is a Stang And he should be back but by far the Most available player which is not to be Scoffed at considering what happened Last year PJ is staying and all the way I got a couple more names before we get Out of here these are really interesting Names I think a lot of people should pay Attention to them I'm gonna go with uh Somebody at the guard position that is a Favorite of Steve Clifford's uh that is A familiar name Michael Carter Williams Will provide you some defense we'll
Provide you some play making one David Hi how are you doing recorder Williams To you rookie of the year is that Stinging or clang it David I don't think I don't think as many people listen to This show today they some of them have Come on because of lamello and other Things they don't don't remember the MCW Days so David what can you tell us about That uh that would be a clang for me uh Guys uh God bless him he's done some Good work uh he did fill in a kneaded Hole here one once upon a time but uh That would be that oh God no I'm gonna Say client okay he was trolling us at One time when he missed a layup wide Open it was it was trolling level bad Offense at some point yeah okay I got One more name for you now look they just Drafted James Najee but we don't know if Naji is going to be ready immediately to Fill that Reserve big role that they'll Need to find I mean look you're one Injury away from needing another big It's Mark Williams it's Nick Richards And that you don't want to be forced to Play PJ Washington at Center for you Know a significant period of time so You've got to find that third big and There's a guy out there that gives you a Little two-way Play Pretty some decent Offense uh some play making if they need Some play making from the center Position here's the name it's Mason
Plumley You don't have to go too far down that Available Center free agent list to find Mason Plumley I mean that's that's the Truth of the matter so I I had thought About it Doug and I don't like you for Bringing it up on the air Yeah we're just not going to say staying In a clanging at all no we're just gonna Keep that at that all right that's the Soul man he's staying in that's David Walker find him on Twitter at David B Walker Doug Branson his sub stack every Hornetsboxcore.com catch me on WFNZ Every weekday from 12 to 3. and Appreciate everyone for making us your First listen make your second listen Game to game NBA you can catch every Moment every top performance every Result locked on game to game covers Every game from across the league with Local analysis that only lockdown can Deliver follow games to game unlocked on NBA available on YouTube and wherever You get your podcast have a great rest Of your day we'll be back with you Tomorrow Thank you
Charlotte, North Carolina – A Small-Town Feel
Events, Life, Sports, Weather, News
Despite being one of the largest cities in the state, Charlotte maintains that small-town feel. The people here are incredibly friendly and welcoming, making it an easy transition for those who are new to the area. The area is also a great place for golf and other outdoor activities with several high-end country clubs like Cedarwood and Quail Hollow Club as well as public courses.
Sports lovers have a lot to cheer for in Charlotte. Home teams in the NBA and NFL attract local fans, while NASCAR enthusiasts can get their fill of roaring engines at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
If you’re more into wine than beer, you won’t be disappointed with the number of vineyards and wineries in the area. There’s also a large selection of restaurants and bars. Whether you’re looking for some live music or want to take in a museum exhibit, there’s something to satisfy every taste.
While the Charlotte economy is heavy on banking and insurance, healthcare and social work are also major employers. Many residents also work for tech companies such as American Airlines, Wells Fargo and Lowe’s. Niche gives Charlotte an above average rating for its schools, so families with children can be confident they’ll find quality educational options. Many Charlotte neighborhoods are located near the city’s top-rated schools such as Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, Charlotte Engineering Early College and Ardrey Kell High School. There are also a variety of private schools in the area including The Country Day School and Montessori Children’s Learning Center.