French point guard Theo Maledon will be staying in the NBA after all. Less than a week after being released by the Houston Rockets, Maledon reportedly landed a two-way NBA contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
According to The Observer’s Rod Boone, the Hornets are waiting to free a roster spot before making Maledon’s signing official.
Maledon spent the past two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded to the Houston Rockets in September. After taking a closer look at the 21-year-old, the Rockets decided to release him.
Despite the fact two teams decided they are better without him, Theo Maledon might prove to be a quality addition for the Hornets. Their All-Star guard LaMelo Ball is out indefinitely with an ankle injury, and it isn’t like the second-round pick from the 2020 NBA Draft can’t play. While in NBA, Maledon played in 116 games with the rebuilding OKC team and averaged 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.
Before coming to NBA, Maledon was considered one of the most promising French players. Playing for ASVEL, he was selected as LNB Pro A Best Young Player in 2019 while also receiving French Cup Final MVP honors in the same year.
