But even if the team was performing well, I don’t think it’s out of the question that Lamb is at least shopped. Moving Lamb’s expiring would represent a new role for the Hornets, who are historically known for buying at the deadline, not selling. That would be similar (but in reverse) to the trade a few years ago when the Hornets acquired Courtney Lee from the Memphis Grizzlies to fill the hole left by Kidd-Gilchrist’s injury. If the Hornets are slipping out of contention for a playoff spot by early February, I could see them trading Jeremy Lamb, who becomes a free agent next July, for a future draft pick. As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer puts it, Lamb could be the one moved, particularly if the team’s performance slips: That leaves the Hornets expiring deals as the most vulnerable and valuable. What other team is realistically taking on any of these contracts with two or more years remaining on them? Charlotte would certainly want to move one of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams, or Batum, but only if they could acquire an expiring contract in return. The team will do what it must to get underneath the tax line, but that won’t be easy. Even if Charlotte let their expiring contracts walk, they are still over the tax as of now. The priority is re-signing Walker, but he leaves no room to re-sign anyone else. This is the harsh reality of the Hornets cap situation. But assuming Walker re-signs, there is currently no way Lamb returns to the team beyond next season unless the Hornets decide to dip into the luxury tax. At the very least, Lamb will certainly play an important role this season. With the new coaching staff putting a greater emphasis on early offense and ball-movement, there’s a legitimate chance Lamb could start alongside Nicolas Batum when the season begins. He has steadily improved each season despite a few ups and downs, and he posted a career best 12.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season, shooting a career best 37 percent from 3. Lamb is entering the final year of the three-year, $21 million extension he signed just months after the team acquired him via trade. And while these, and Walker’s future in particular, are important talking points, they’ve nearly overshadowed Lamb’s long-term future in Charlotte. Much of this offseason has focused on the growth of the Charlotte Hornets’ young players, the internal changes in the coaching and front office staff, and the long-term future of Kemba Walker.
Lamb appears to have embraced the Charlotte lifestyle, but unfortunately, sticking around past this season may be out his control. As said friend explained to me, Lamb acts so casual that he comes off as any average person in their 20’s does. He’s become such a regular around the city that a friend of mine living in Charlotte only realized he’d been frequenting the same bar as Lamb for months after someone pointed it out.
“Sunday Fundays” in Uptown are a regular occurrence, as are trips to local bars to play darts and grilling parties in his backyard. If you follow Jeremy Lamb on Instagram, it’s clear that he enjoys living in Charlotte.
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