The Hornets have added four players from this year’s draft.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β The Charlotte Hornets have added two more pieces to their team as the franchise pushes to find winning ways.
Charlotte drafted Duke forward Sion James and Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner in the second round with the 33rd and 34th overall picks, respectively. The Hornets were in a position to draft Kalkbrenner because of a previous trade with Toronto.
Wednesday and Thursday’s draft was active for the Hornets. Charlotte drafted Duke guard Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick in the first round and later traded Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Connecticut guard Liam McNeely, who the Suns drafted with the 29th pick.
James was a pivotal part of Duke’s success on the court, helping the team reach the Final Four during this year’s NCAA Tournament. He played only his senior year with Duke, with most of his collegiate career coming at Tulane. James hit 51.6% of his shots with Duke, including a 41.3% mark from the 3-point line.
With Williams shipped to Phoenix, Kalkbrenner could be Charlotte’s new option at center. Kalbrenner led Creighton in scoring with an impressive 19.2 points per game in his final season with the Bluejays. He’s an effective scoring threat and could prove to be an effective weapon if developed properly.
The Hornets are hoping to improve upon a 19-63 record, the team’s third consecutive losing season. With former all-star LaMelo Ball, rising talent Brandon Miller, and the youthful potential of this year’s draft picks, the Hornets could be set well for the future.
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