Charlotte Hornets sign OKC Thunder scout Ryan Lambert
The best basketball players who never played in the NBA
The best basketball players who never played in the NBA
Such is the environment in professional sports, and teams at the bottom of the league try to emulate the blueprint of the upper echelons. Whether poaching talent from the roster or from the league staff, luring talent from more successful franchises is always a smart approach.
In recent months, this has been the case with the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Hornets, who have been considered losers for most of their existence, have now hit the restart button for their franchise again. Executive VP Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee are fresh blood, marking the beginning of a new era in Charlotte. This time, they hope to copy OKC’s homework.
It started last February. The Hornets traded Gordon Hayward for Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic and Davis Bertans. Mann was worth a shot as the 23-year-old was rotting on OKC’s bench. He put in an impressive performance to close out last season in Charlotte that was worth it.
Then they brought in Aleksej Pokusevski. Another failed long-term project for the Thunder, who buried him at the end of the bench. The results were similar for the Hornets. The 22-year-old has left the league and returned overseas.
The Hornets recently signed Keyontae Johnson, who came out of OKC after a forgettable rookie season. They also expanded off the field. Charlotte hired Ryan Lambert as director of amateur scouting, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. He was previously with the Thunder from 2012-2024. Last season, he worked his way up to senior amateur evaluation scout.
Given the Thunder’s draft success, poaching some of their best minds from the scouting department is the right thing to do. The Hornets will likely continue to have plenty of lottery picks, so they will be signing top-notch talent in the coming years.
