Report: Hornets could be interested in big man Daniel Theis in free agency
The Charlotte Hornets are set for an interesting offseason with key parts of their roster potentially undergoing shakeups. Two areas, specifically, could see the most turnover in the center position and the guard position.
The backcourt will see Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk enter restricted free agency and the frontcourt will see Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo enter unrestricted free agency. With the franchise focused on building a team around LaMelo Ball this offseason, changes are likely incoming in some regards.
The frontcourt, specifically, is an area that will almost certainly undergo changes. While Zeller and Biyombo offered positive impact in some aspects, neither gelled seamlessly in the lineup for various reasons.
One player that could come in as a replacement is big man Daniel Theis, who The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell mentioned as a potential option for the team this offseason.
Mitch Kupchak said yesterday that he could see adding multiple centers this off-season. A name I've heard might be on that list of options: Free agent-to-be Daniel Theis.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) May 21, 2021
Last season between time with the Celtics and Bulls, Theis averaged 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game. An interesting aspect of his game is that he shot 32.2% from the 3-point line on 2.3 attempts per game. While P.J. Washington excelled as a stretch big at times this season, he was the only option the team had as a stretch center and Theis could offer another option in that regard.
In 42 games with the Celtics, Theis had a net rating of plus-2.4 net rating on the court and the Celtics had a minus-4.0 net rating with him off the court, the lowest figure of any one single player for Boston last season. With Chicago, he had nearly the opposite effect on the team, though it came in only 24 games and half as many minutes.
Theis is a more modern option as a big man that can stretch the floor and also be solid enough defensively to see minutes for a contender like Boston last season. Of his 42 games in Boston, Theis started 37 games. While he isn’t the glamorous name that some Hornets fans may desire as a big man, he would certainly provide valuable minutes for the team.
