Two Former OKC Thunder Players Waived By Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets waived both Davis Bertans and Aleksej Pokusevski on Saturday.
The two players were sent to Charlotte ahead of the trade deadline in a move that brought Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City. Tre Mann was another player involved in the trade, though his potential likely leaves his job with the Hornets secure.
Pokusevski was a first-round pick in 2020, drafted by the Thunder who traded up to secure his rights.
Bertans was brought to the team ahead of last season in a trade that saw the Thunder and Dallas Mavericks swap draft picks, allowing Oklahoma City to draft Cason Wallace with pick No. 10.
So, to recap, two Thunder players sent to Charlotte in the trade were waived and Hayward wasn’t retained in Oklahoma City. Mann is the only player involved in the trade to remain on that roster thus far.
Still, the move remains beneficial for the Thunder. While Oklahoma City didn’t get the playoff production from Hayward they might have hoped for, his salary coming off the books allowed for the team to pursue Isaiah Hartenstein, who they signed to a three-year, $87 million contract.
Evidently, the trade didn’t end up matter much either way. The Hornets are in the middle of a rebuild and the Thunder took a leap forward in building a perennial contender after making an arrival a season ago.
Bertans is sure to land on his feet in the league. He’s a sharpshooter, having converted 38 percent of his 3-pointers last season. He’s got value on an NBA team, especially a contender in need of floor spacing.
For Pokusevski, his job in the NBA is not so secure. Still, he can head back to Serbia and play in a pro league, enjoying life at home while getting paid handsomly to play his favorite sport. He was never able to blossom into a role player in Oklahoma City, and Charlotte posted another opportunity for the 7-footer.
