Charlotte Hornets power forward Josh McRoberts opted out of his contract with the team on Wednesday. He is now a free agent.
McRoberts was entering the final year of his contract. He was going to make about $2.8 million this year. However he decided to opt out as he had out performed his contract. The Hornets are now almost $16 million under the salary cap, according to the Associated Press. They have the ninth, 24th, and 45th overall picks in the NBA draft, which is next week.
''He was a big part of our team and we definitely want to re-sign him,'' Hornets general manager Rich Cho said. ''He helped Kemba (Walker) and he helped Big Al (Jefferson). He's such a great passer. He's a connector to the team. And he's a great teammate also. So we're hoping we sign him.''
McRoberts played in 78 games last season. In those 78 games he averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds, according to Sports Illustrated. He shot 36.1 percent from three-point range.
The Hornets will try to resign McRoberts. If McRoberts doesn’t resign with the Hornets, then Cody Zeller, who was drafted by the Hornets last year, could replace him. Last season the Hornets were 43-39 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2010. They lost to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see if the Hornets can get McRoberts to resign or if he goes somewhere else.