Kofi Inkoom
The Hornets have officially inked contracts with free agent guards R.J. Hunter and Edmond Sumner, as declared by Mitch Kupchak, who holds the position of President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. Specific terms of these agreements remain undisclosed.
Sumner, who played in 53 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season, averaged 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He displayed impressive shooting percentages, hitting 46% from the field and 35% from beyond the three-point arc.
While the 27-year-old isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, given the thinness of the Hornets’ backcourt, his chances of sticking around and being part of the rotation for the start of the 2023-24 season seem quite favorable.
Also, Hunter, in his NBA journey spanning four seasons from 2015 to 2019, has made appearances in 45 regular-season matchups, with just one of those being a start. During this time, he has achieved an average of 3.0 points and 1.0 rebound, all while playing for the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Houston Rockets.
In related news, Cody Martin, as reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press, will have limited participation at the beginning of camp as he continues to recover from a hip/knee injury that sidelined him for nearly the entire previous season.
Although Martin typically plays as a shooting guard, he does have some experience as a backup point guard. Additionally, the team added Frank Ntilikina earlier in the offseason, providing another option off the bench.