Recent NBA 1st-Round Pick Is Still A Free Agent

James Bouknight is still a free agent after being waived by the Charlotte Hornets.

Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; James Bouknight (Connecticut) poses with NBA commissioner / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

James Bouknight played in 14 games for the Charlotte Hornets this season.

The former UConn star averaged 3.6 points per contest while shooting 43.9% from the field and 43.3% from the three-point range.

Back in February, Bouknight was waived by the Hornets, and he currently remains a free agent that is available to be signed by any team in the league.

OFFICIAL: We have waived guard James Bouknight, guard Frank Ntilikina, and guard Ish Smith.

Read Full Release: https://t.co/5m9MVLvkbf pic.twitter.com/12DC1r5n7a

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 9, 2024

Bouknight was the 11th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, so being waived by the team was a huge surprise.

He is only 23 and has career averages of 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 36.3% from the field and 33.5% from the three-point range in 79 games over three seasons with Charlotte.

Feb 2, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight (2) dunks against / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Since he was such a recent top-15 pick (and is still so young), Bouknight could be a good addition to another team at some point.

Being waived means he could also likely be signed to a minimum (or non-guaranteed) deal.

OMG JAMES BOUKNIGHT 😱
(via @NBA)

pic.twitter.com/xhSwCF4uMP

— Overtime (@overtime) October 8, 2021

As for the Hornets, they have had a tough season and dealt with a lot of injuries.

They are 19-59 in 78 games, which has them as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Over the last ten games, the Hornets have gone 2-8, and they most recently lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder (at home) by a score of 121-118.

On Tuesday evening, they will host Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks in North Carolina.

Jan 14, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight (2) warms up prior to the / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Hornets haven't made the NBA playoffs since the 2016 season when Kemba Walker was still on the roster.