No one’s really quite sure what the Charlotte Hornets are doing. They traded away a prized young player on a rookie contract for a potential one-year rental of Nicolas Batum. They also shipped away basically all of their defensive frontcourt depth and replaced it with the uninspiring combination of Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky and Tyler Hansbrough. Their summer, up until this point, can be best summed up as “puzzling.”
Today, the Hornets made the first absolutely positive move of the offseason: signing Michael Kidd- Gilchrist to an extension. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports:
Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is finalizing a four-year, $52 million contract extension, league sources told Yahoo Sports. …As a member of the 2012 NBA draft class, Kidd-Gilchrist is eligible for a rookie extension prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.
MKG is one of the best young defenders in the league, capable of guarding players ranging from point guards to power forwards. Of course, that was never a concern with Kidd-Gilchrist. Everyone knew defense would be his calling card – what they wondered about was his offense.
Last season, he began to answer those concerns, showing a rebuilt jump shot, and with it, increased consistency. If he can make the jump shot a part of his arsenal – it doesn’t have to be a major part, just a part – then Charlotte will have locked up a dangerous two way player for what will prove to be a bargain when the new salary cap begins.
(Via Yahoo Sports)
