There was a lot of mystery around the injury that ultimately ended Tre Mann’s season. It started with intermittent appearances on the injury report and sporadic games missed. Eventually he was shut down with a back issue and was supposed to be reevaluated in a few weeks time. That time passed, and we never got any further updates. Eventually word trickled out that Mann was going to be out for the season, but that was reported by offhand comments during the broadcast and random conversations on the Internet.

Further muddying the waters is Mann’s contract situation. He just completed his fourth season and with that enters restricted free agency. It’s about the worst possible time to miss almost an entire season. His absence makes it hard to predict what his value is and what the team’s plan for him is.

The first hints we’ve gotten in regards to Mann’s future have come via social media. A couple of weeks ago, Mann posted on his Instagram a photo of himself in his Hornets jersey saying that the “revenge tour starts now.” That seems like someone who plans to stay a Hornet.

Miles Bridges posted on his Instagram story that he was working out with Mann and KJ Simpson at Queens University in Charlotte. Obviously players don’t get final say in where they play, and naturally they’re going to spend time with their most recent teammates, but it does say a little bit about where Mann’s head is at.

On the very top level surface, it seems like the players are preparing for Mann to be back. With him being a restricted free agent and the Hornets operating over the cap this offseason anyway, that seems like the most sensible outcome from all this.