Hornets free agency tracker: Veteran center Bismack Biyombo will be back
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, Gordon Hayward came to terms with the Hornets on a 4-year, $120 million contract. This will be the biggest free-agent signing for the franchise at least since adding center Al Jefferson in 2013. Jefferson went on to an All-NBA season.
The Hornets signed Hayward to a maximum-salary offer sheet in 2014, when Hayward was a restricted free agent. The Utah Jazz, the team that drafted Hayward, matched that offer sheet to retain him. Hayward later signed with the Boston Celtics. He opted out of the final season on his Boston contract, giving up $34 million guaranteed, to become a free agent Friday.
To make room under the salary cap for Hayward, Charlotte plans to waive the final year of Nic Batum’s contract and stretch the cap implications of Batum’s $27 million owed over the next three years. However, the Boston Globe reported late Saturday that the Hornets and Celtics are still discussing a possible sign-and-trade.
Free agents Hornets will re-sign
Bismack Biyombo
Center Bismack Biyombo will return to the Hornets on a one-year deal, according to two informed sources. Biyombo provided depth last season, and also was a mentor to several young players, particularly after Marvin Williams took a buyout to join the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Hornets entered free-agency Friday with two other free agents: Center Willy Hernangomez and wing Dwayne Bacon.
Who’s leaving the Hornets in free agency?
Willy Hernangomez
Center Hernangomez will sign a one-year, minimum contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of Stadium.
Hernangomez came to Charlotte in a trade-deadline deal in 2018. The Hornets agreed to send two future second-round picks to the New York Knicks for Hernangomez.
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 Batum.
Notable free agents
Among reported agreements Saturday:
▪ Center-forward Tristan Thompson and point guard Jeff Teague both came to terms with the Celtics.
▪ Point guard Fred VanVleet will re-sign with the Toronto Raptors.
▪ Center-forward Serge Ibaka will leave the Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 9:49 PM.
