(Mitchell Northam / Sports Illustrated - Maven)
Hornets notes: Batum returns to practice, Cauley-Stein turned down Charlotte offer
Nic Batum seems to be on his way back to returning to the court for the Charlotte Hornets.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Rod Boone of the Athletic reported Tuesday that Batum has been cleared for contact and participated in most of James Borrego’s practice on Tuesday. Batum, 30, hasn’t played for the Hornets since opening night against the Chicago Bulls, a game where he broke his left middle finger.
With a salary of $25.6 million, the 6-foot-9 Frenchman is the Hornets’ highest-paid player.
While Batum has returned to practice, it’s unclear when he’ll return to the court. On Tuesday, the team said listed him as “OUT” for Wednesday’s home game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies.
Cauley-Stein turned down Hornets
This past off-season, the Hornets attempted to sign center Willie Cauley-Stein, apparently.
According to a story from Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, Charlotte offered the big man a deal worth $9 million. He instead opted for a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors worth $4.46 million, with a player option on the second year.
A 7-foot Kentucky product, Cauley-Stein spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings after the club drafted him sixth overall in 2015. He was an All-Rookie selection in 2016 and has proven to be a serviceable and versatile big man thus far in his career. Last season – in which he made 81 starts – he averaged 11.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 55.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Smart fined after Hornets game
The NBA announced that Boston Celtics’ guard Marcus Smart was fined $15,000 for criticizing the referees after the Celtics’ 108-87 win over the Hornets last week.
"Really, just, I wish they would call the game the right way," Smart told EPSN’s Tim Bontemps. "A lot of calls that they called, I didn't understand where the fouls were. And it just seems like whenever I get the ball and I'm on offense, I can't get a call… Nobody else is going to protect yourself. You've got to protect yourself. So if that means I've got to lose a little bit of money, then I've got to lose a bit.”
Smart picked up his fifth foul of the game in the third quarter, just 11 seconds after he had been hit with his fourth foul. Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens pulled him out of the game and the two exchanged words near the bench.
“At some point you have to step in and say something as a coach (about the officiating),” Smart told Stevens, according to ESPN.
When Smart came back into the game in the fourth quarter, he and Miles Bridges got into a shoving match under the basket. Bridges was given a technical foul.
Smart finished the game with six points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes.
Kemba’s mom: Leaving Charlotte was ‘a nasty divorce.’
The full interview is below, but Andrea Walker – Kemba’s mother – had some things to say about her son’s split from the Charlotte Hornets last week during her son’s game against his former team.
“Staying in Charlotte was kind of slowing him up, and I think it was just time for a change,” Andrea Walker told NBC Sports Boston. “It was a nasty divorce, but it was a well-deserved divorce.”
Walker’s mother, wearing a white Celtics’ jersey, sat behind the Celtics bench for the game against the Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
Martin drops 30 in G-League debut
Caleb Martin made his G-League debut Tuesday with the Greensboro Swarm, dropping 30 points in a 141-135 loss to the Delaware Blue Coats. Martin also had seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in 34 minutes.
Jalen McDaniels also impressed for the Swarm, knocking down 5-of-6 three-pointers en route to 30 points. The second-round draft pick from San Diego State also had eight rebounds and five steals. Kobi Simmons had 18 points and 10 assists for the Swarm as well.
Extras
- Former Hornets’ guard Tony Parker had his No. 9 jersey retired by the San Antonio Spurs.
- Ahmed Hill – who the Hornets signed to a two-way deal, then waived in October – has been signed by the G-League’s Northern Arizona Suns.
- Devonte’ Graham’s NBA2K rating got a seven-point boost last week, putting him at a 76 rating.
- Former Duke guard Grayson Allen is listed as “doubtful” for the Grizzlies ahead of Wednesday’s game in Charlotte.
