The Hornets have made a pair of key hires for their NBA G League setup, bringing in Mike Pires as general manager and Zach Peterson as head coach of the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced.
Pires will keep his current role as the Hornets’ director of pro personnel while also running the Swarm’s basketball operations. Peterson, meanwhile, is coming off two seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development with Charlotte.
Before that, Pires spent five seasons in the Nets’ basketball operations department as a scout, working alongside Hawks executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. Peterson’s background includes two seasons as an assistant coach with the Lakers from 2022-24 and three seasons as a player development coach with the Thunder from 2019-22.
Elsewhere in the Southeast, the Wizards’ offseason overhaul has put them squarely in the spotlight. They re-signed Trae Young, used the No. 1 pick on AJ Dybantsa, and added Khris Middleton, Deandre Ayton and Tre Mann.
ESPN’s Insiders are already asking how much better this group can be after a 65-loss season, and they described the Wizards as “all-in” on Young, who will be part of a young core that also includes Anthony Davis and Dybantsa. Ohm Youngmisuk noted that Washington could surprise some people if Davis returns healthy and looks like the dominant force he has been in the past.
Ayton, in particular, is drawing attention for what he can add. Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network broke down the big man’s game and pointed to his rebounding as well as the efficiency he showed with the Lakers last season, when he posted career-best marks in true shooting percentage at 67.6 and effective field goal percentage at 67.1.
There’s also a familiar connection forming for Luguentz Dort. The former Thunder guard is eager to join old friend Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the Hawks, Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire reported.
Dort said, “It’s amazing. Obviously, Nickeil is one of my closest friends,” he said.
“Played on the same team with Nickeil in high school and against him our whole life, obviously. When I got the call and I knew I was heading there, I hit him right away.
I was really happy. He’s helped me out throughout this whole transition and with their style of play.
I’m glad that I got a guy like him on my team now.”
And in Orlando, the Magic have expanded their TV reach. The team and WMOR-TV announced a new partnership that will put all regular-season games not carried nationally on WMOR-TV Channel 32 in the Tampa area next season. The deal builds on last year’s arrangement, when the station aired 10 Magic games.
In Other News...
Aday Mara Just Gave Thunder Fans A Reason To Look Again
Aday Mara has given the Thunder a small but encouraging glimpse of what might be coming next. The recent No. 12 overall pick for Oklahoma City stood out for Spain in a FIBA World Cup Qualifiers game, showing improved activity around the rim and a level of physicality that should matter to a team looking for young frontcourt help. For a rookie still in the early stages of his NBA journey, any sign of growth on an international stage is worth noting, especially with training camp approaching.
Spain did not come away with the result it wanted against Greece, but Maras energy was one of the brighter takeaways from the night. The Thunder are still approaching his outlook with the kind of caution that usually comes with a first-year player, yet performances like this are why there remains some optimism about how he could fit when Oklahoma City gets back to work. [Read more 🡒]
Ajay Mitchell May Hold One Key To The Thunders Repeat Push
Ajay Mitchells rise was one of the quieter wins of Oklahoma Citys season, a breakout second year that turned the 24-year-old into a trusted sixth man and a real part of the Thunders title formula. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and after missing part of the previous season and the playoffs with a soleus strain, he still managed to cement himself as a reliable piece in the rotation.
Now the Thunder are asking for more. With the roster changing around him, Mitchell looks poised for a bigger offensive load, and his offseason work has been centered on sharpening the outside jumper that could help open up his game. For a team trying to repeat, his next step may be less about surprises and more about whether he can turn last years breakout into something even more valuable. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face One Chet Holmgren Dilemma They Can't Ignore
The Thunder spent the offseason making their center room deeper and more complicated, a sign of how much the organization values having options around Chet Holmgren. Isaiah Hartenstein is back, Aday Mara arrived in the draft, and Thomas Sorber is entering the mix after a lost year, giving Oklahoma City a group that looks built as much for the future as for the present.
Mark Daigneault now has to sort out how those minutes get divided without shortchanging development or sacrificing the kind of stability a contender wants from the middle of the floor. Holmgrens versatility makes him the swing piece in all of it, and the Thunder are clearly preparing to rotate through several looks while figuring out which combinations can survive the regular season and which ones make the most sense long term. [Read more 🡒]