Could Wendell Moore Jr. be the next under-the-radar find for Jeff Peterson?

Charlotte recently signed the former first round pick to a two-way deal.

Owen O'Connor | Feb 18, 2025

Jan 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) dribbles against Detroit Pistons guard Wendell Moore Jr. (14) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets signed guard/forward Wendell Moore Jr. to a two-way NBA deal, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Saturday morning.

The Charlotte Hornets are signing former Pistons and Timberwolves guard Wendell Moore to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 15, 2025

Moore is in his third season in the pros, spending his first two with Minnesota, before being moved to Detroit in the offseason. The Pistons cut Moore after 20 games with the team.

Wendell is a Charlotte native, as although he was born in Richmond, VA, he spent his high school years with Cox Mill High School before attending Duke University for three seasons. The former Blue Devil was selected 26th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets via the Dallas Mavericks and was then sent to Minnesota.

Houston via Dallas at No. 26 will be Wendell Moore and he will be traded to Minnesota, sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2022

What does Moore bring the Hornets?

WENDELL

MOORE

FOR

THE

WIN

IN

OVERTIME

🤯🤯🤯pic.twitter.com/K6zTz37oJ5
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 9, 2020

Moore is averaging 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across his 20 games this season. He is shooting 46% from the field, 28.8% from three, and 92.9% from the free throw line.

The 23-year-old has never seen more than 29 games of action in a season, and his time in Charlotte may be crucial to salvaging his NBA career. With LaMelo Ball, Josh Okogie, Tre Mann, and Brandon Miller all injured, Moore may be able to find some minutes to make a name for himself.

Head Coach Charles Lee and Executive Vice President Jeff Peterson have been incredible at finding diamonds in the rough this season, with Moussa Diabate, DaQuan Jeffries, KJ Simpson, and potentially Damion Baugh all having strong impacts on the team.

Moore can be the next name added on that list, as when returning from injury, the only players ahead of him in the 2/3 position are Josh Green, Nick Smith Jr, KJ Simpson, DaQuan Jeffries, Damion Baugh, and Seth Curry. Although a handful of names, Green and Smith may be the only two guaranteed to keep minutes if the team is fully healthy, so Lee may look to see if there is something with Moore.

Moore never was given a chance despite being a first round pick, playing 74 games over his first three seasons. Now with the Hornets, could Moore finally get that chance?