Hornets free agency tracker: Who’s leaving, who’s staying and who are the new players?
NBA free agency began at 6 p.m. Friday with the Charlotte Hornets being one of four teams with room under the salary cap.
The Hornets had roughly $20 million available under the $109 million cap for the upcoming season, after accounting for the rookie-scale salary No. 3 draft pick LaMelo Ball will receive.
Who is coming and who is going for the Hornets:
This story will be updated as new moves happen.
What new players are coming to the Hornets?
Gordon Hayward
Saturday afternoon, ESPN reported that Gordon Hayward would sign with the Charlotte Hornets in free agency. The deal is worth a reported $120 million over four years.
The Hornets tried to recruit Hayward in 2014, but he decided then to stay with the Utah Jazz when it gave him a qualifying offer.
To make room for Hayward, Charlotte is waiving the final year of Nic Batum’s contract and stretching the $27 million in salary he’s owed over the next three years.
Free agents Hornets may re-sign
Charlotte had three free agents from last season’s roster when free agency began Friday — centers Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez and wing Dwayne Bacon. As of 1:37 p.m. Saturday, none had come to terms with the Hornets.
Who’s leaving the Hornets in free agency?
Dwayne Bacon
The 2017 second-round pick is signing with the Orlando Magic, where he will be reunited with former Hornets coach Steve Clifford.
Bacon will reportedly sign a two-year deal, according to Yahoo! Sports and other media outlets.
The Hornets announced Thursday they would not make a qualifying offer (about $2 million) to restrict Bacon’s free-agency. That was not a surprise; while Bacon started the Hornets’ first 10 games last season, he fell so far out of the rotation that he spent the last 12 games assigned to the G-League Greensboro Swarm.
Clifford coached Bacon his first two seasons and saw him as a potential starter at one of the wing positions. Bacon started his first NBA game for Clifford as an injury fill-in for Nic Batum.
Notable free agents
Among reported agreements as of Friday through 10 p.m.:
▪ Center Christian Wood agreed to a 3-year, $41 million deal with the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN. Wood is leaving the Detroit Pistons.
▪ Joe Harris, a top 3-point shooter, agreed to a 4-year, $75 million deal to return to the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN.
▪ Center/forward Montrezl Harrell is leaving the Los Angeles Clippers for the Lakers on a 2-year, $19 million deal. Harrell turned down more money from the Hornets, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner.
▪ The Atlanta Hawks will sign Danilo Gallinari to a 3-year, $61.5 million deal.
▪ Goran Dragic will return to the Miami Heat for a 2-year, $37.4 million deal.
▪ Ex-Hornet Dwight Howard will leave the Los Angeles Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers on a 1-year minimum deal.
▪ Former Duke player Rodney Hood will return to the Portland Trail Blazers on a 2-year, $21 million deal.
