It’s been a busy summer so far for the professional sports teams North Carolina.
The Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Hurricanes have been busy with NBA and NHL free agency along with the drafts, while the Carolina Panthers have been busy getting ready for their upcoming NFL season.
Hornets
The Hornets are coming off a less-than-exciting 2023-24 NBA season, and they are looking to make moves during the offseason to set themselves up for success next season.
The NBA Draft on June 28-29 was a great chance to help their odds for next season. They had two picks in the draft. With their first pick, the Hornets selected 19-year-old Frenchman Tidjane Salaun sixth overall, and with their second pick they selected KJ Simpson of Colorado 42nd overall. The forward and guard, respectively, will look to fill gaps in the team.
The day after the draft, the team waived sharpshooter Seth Curry, brother of Golden State Warrior superstar Stephen Curry. On July 3, they signed Salaun to a rookie contract, and they signed Simpson to a two-way contract on July 7.
Over the weekend, they signed forward Taj Gibson and re-signed guard Miles Bridges.
With the NBA Summer League being played in Las Vegas, rookies will be in the spotlight before making it to the main stage in Oct. In their first game of the Summer League, the Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 94-90. Salaun had eight points off the bench as well as seven rebounds, while Simpson did not play.
The Hornets will be in action tonight against the Boston Celtics at 5:30 p.m. on NBA TV and ESPN+. With a few months remaining until the regular season kicks off, keep an eye on the Hornets to make some more moves in free agency.
Hurricanes
The Raleigh-based NHL team has had a busy, and surprising, offseason so far. The ink has been flowing in our state’s capital since the offseason began.
The most surprising move has been trading forward Jake Guentzel to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 third-round pick. The Canes fought hard at the trade deadline to acquire the forward from the Pittsburg Penguins, then traded him only months later with nothing in return except a draft pick next year.
On July 6, they acquired defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Winnipeg Jets for future considerations, then the next day signed forward Josiah Slavin to a two-year deal. Josiah is brother of the Canes’ top defender, Jaccob Slavin.
Speaking of defenseman, the Canes signed veteran blue liner Shayne Gostisbehere from the Detroit Red Wings.
With $11.68 million remaining in cap space, Rod Brind’Amour and his staff will likely bring in more players to continue the Canes’ recent success.
Panthers
The Panthers are looking to turn things around this season. They have been quiet on transactions as of late, with the focus shifted to training camp to prepare for the upcoming season, which kicks off in less than a month with three preseason games.
After facing the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in the preseason, the Panthers kick off the regular season with a trip to the bayou to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Their schedule isn’t exceptionally tough until after their week 11 bye. When they return, they will host the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs; then take on the defending NFC South winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; then head to the City of Brotherly Love to face the 2018 Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles – all in a three-week span.
From trades to training camp, this has been a busy summer for our professional sports teams in the Tar Heel State. As the teams gear up for their upcoming seasons, keep an eye on each for what moves they will make in preparation for what they hope is a successful 2024-25 season.