According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Charlotte Hornets are declining the fourth year option on the contract for guard James Bouknight.
The Charlotte Hornets are declining the fourth-year option ($6.1 million) on 2021 No. 11 pick James Bouknight, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 31, 2023
This was so obviously going to happen that it almost doesn’t feel like news. After being selected 11th overall in 2021, Bouknight has failed to consistently crack the rotation and has rarely been a passable player when he does get in the game. He struggled in summer league before getting hurt in training camp, and now it seems his days in a Hornets uniform are numbered.
This solidifies what will go down as a monumental bust of a 2021 first round draft class after Kai Jones was waived before the start of the season. At least JT Thor is still here, and he’s been fine for a second round pick.
In other, better, but equally obvious news, the Hornets are picking up the team option for the third year of center Mark Williams’ contract.
OFFICIAL: We have exercised our third-year team option on center Mark Williams.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 31, 2023
Williams looks like the long term anchor in the middle the Hornets have so desperately needed for so long. He’ll be back on a $4 million deal for next season and the team will have an option to bring him back for $6 million the following season, which they almost surely will.
