The 40th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has quickly earned an upgrade in contract security.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Charlotte Hornets will convert Bryce McGowens’ Two-Way contract to a standard four-year, $7.4M deal.
The Charlotte Hornets are converting two-way guard Bryce McGowens on a four-year, $7.4 million deal, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Kyle McAlarney of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. The deal includes a fourth-year team option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 26, 2023
The news comes as no surprise with McGowens on the edge of head coach Steve Clifford’s rotation while rapidly approaching the active games limit on his Two-Way deal. Two-Way players are allowed to be active for up to 50 games in a season, which obviously isn’t enough now that McGowens has played well (and often) enough to established himself as a core piece of the franchise.
McGowens’ new NBA deal comes with an average annual value of $1.85M across the next four seasons (including this season) and comes with a team option in the final year of the contract. Given the flashes he’s shown so far, that’s about as much of a bargain as the Hornets were going to get. If he becomes a permanent member of the rotation, that’s an extremely team-friendly signing in the same vein as Boston inking Sam Hauser to a three-year, $5.6M contract shortly after converting him from a Two-Way to a standard NBA deal.
With the move, the Hornets currently have one open roster spot remaining and an open Two-Way slot. The 15th spot is likely on hold for he who shall not be named, but we can watch out for a potential Two-Way signing to bolster depth down the stretch. Xavier Sneed, a long-time affiliate of the Hornets organization, has played well for the Greensboro Swarm this season and is a prime candidate should the front office choose to fill the vacancy.
As the conductor of the Bryce McGowens train, I couldn’t be happier. For At The Hive’s player preview series back in the fall, yours truly stated the following:
There’s no telling how many meaningful NBA minutes McGowens will play as a rookie, but there’s a skill package present that makes the 6-foot-7 teenager an intriguing prospect nonetheless. The Hornets are currently bereft of guard depth, which helps his case quite a bit. It wouldn’t be surprising to see McGowens elevated from a Two-Way to a standard contract at some point this season, especially if a midseason trade is completed. — Chase Whitney, Oct. 5, 2022
Nailed it. Congrats to Bryce McGowens, who has earned this deal and then some. Not a bad 2022 draft class for the ole’ general Mitch Kupchak after all, huh?