The Charlotte Hornets are in the middle of a rebuild to get themselves back to a place of contention. Within this, it means that the team has had to make some tough decisions regarding roster construction so they can attempt to put the best product on the court. The Hornets want to give its younger players more leeway for playing time this season and it saw them release some players recently.
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Veteran forward Davis Bertans was among the players to be cut by the Hornets but his release came at a strange time. The official announcement of his release by the Hornets came while he was playing in the middle of a game with the Latvia National Team. After the game, he was asked how he felt about being cut by the Hornets and gave a surprisingly honest answer regarding the situation.
“All I can say is that I really don’t care right now. My main focus is right here with this jersey on. You know, in a way, I’m really happy that this right now is the only jersey that I wear.”
Bertans had a $16 million salary for this upcoming season but only $5.25 million of that total was guaranteed. Charlotte is on the hook for the partially guaranteed part of the contract but this move created over $10 million in cap space for the organization.
Last season with the Hornets, Bertans averaged 8.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. The big man shot 37.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line while with the Hornets. He appeared in 28 games for Charlotte after being traded to the Hornets by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bertans was dealt along with Tre Mann, Vasilije Micić, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and cash considerations. Charlotte sent forward Gordon Heyward back to the Thunder in the deal.
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Since Bertans is now a free agent, he can either look to remain in the NBA or potentially go play overseas. Due to his ability to space the floor effectively, he will be an interesting option for teams needing help shooting the ball. The former second-round draft pick could be a nice addition to a team needing some extra help along the bench. Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, and others could all use a player like Bertans within the roster.
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.