Hornets waive Welsh, sign McDaniels

Thomas Welsh played six minutes Wednesday night. Jalen McDaniels was the team's second-round draft pick.

The Charlotte Hornets announced a pair of roster moves Thursday, cutting lose center Thomas Welsh and signing forward Jalen McDaniels.

McDaniels, 21, was drafted 52nd overall by the Hornets in this past year's draft, but hadn't joined the team during training camp because he hadn't signed his contract. General manager Mitch Kupchak said in a press release that the team came to terms with McDaniels on Thursday.

The San Diego State product did play for the Hornets in the NBA's Summer League, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per-game. In college, the 6-foot-10 forward was a second team All-Mountain West selection after averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per-game as a sophomore.

McDaniels has not yet been assigned a number, according to the roster on the Hornets' website.

Welsh, 23, signed with the Hornets in August.

A former McDonald's All-American, the center out of UCLA was drafted 58th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2018. Welsh appeared in just 11 games with the Nuggets though and finished the 2018-19 season in the G-League. Over 20 games with the Capital City Go-Go and the Iowa Wolves, Welsh averaged 10.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per-game.

Welsh played six minutes for the Hornets in their preseason loss on Wednesday to the Miami Heat. He didn't attempt a shot, but tallied two rebounds, a steal and an assist.

The Hornets roster now stands at 20 players. They will play their third preseason game on Friday in Winston-Salem, N.C. against the Philadelphia 76ers.