Hornets sign G-League guard to two-way contract to bolster injured back court

Much needed guard help is on the way to Charlotte.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the Charlotte Hornets are in dire need of reinforcements.

The team's daily injury report is leaving fans out of breath when they read it from top to bottom. Although the on-court play hasn't suffered in quality, Charlotte has lost five straight mostly competitive tilts, the active Hornets have to be running on fumes as they continue to run out of bodies.

Charlotte announced this afternoon that both LaMelo Ball (Calf) and Tre Mann (Back), the top two point guards on the depth chart, are set to miss a minimum of two weeks with their respective injuries. Vasilije Micić, Nick Smith Jr., and K.J. Simpson have provided a reasonable facsimilie of productive guard play in their stead, but Jeff Peterson and company believe that juice is needed to assist that unit.

Enter Isaiah Wong.

ESPN's Shams Charania announced on X this evening that the Hornets are signing Wong to a two-way contract. The 23-year-old jitterbug ball handler is averaging 24.1 points per contest in the G-League, the seventh most among all players in the NBA's developmental minor league.

Wong is a second-year player drafted out of the University of Miami. In his final year as a Hurricane Wong led Miami to the Final Four and won ACC Player of the Year when he averaged 16.2 points per game as a senior.

A pre-draft profile from Miami Hurricanes on SI can shed a little light on the type of player Charlotte is bringing to town: "While Wong has shown ability to score from all three levels, he is far more crafty than he is explosive. He utilizes screens well in the offense to mask his lack of a quick first step. On the defensive end, Wong is an average to below average defender at best, and will struggle to guard quicker guards at the next level."

What this means for the Hornets

In my estimation, this move signifies that one or both of Mark Williams or Miles Bridges is set to return soon. Charlotte's front court depth has been as tested as it's back courts, and a move to shore up the guard rotation tells me that internal front court help is on the way.

The Hornets have two days off before they take on the Philadelphia 76ers to round out Group A play in the NBA Cup at home on Tuesday evening. Stay tuned to Charlotte Hornets on SI as the team updates their players' injury statues ahead of their next game.

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