Does This Four-Year Pro Have a Future in Charlotte?
As the playoffs continue, the Charlotte Hornets are once again at home and are deciding what next year’s roster is going to look like. One of the players that they must keep is Tre Mann. Mann was having one of his best seasons in his young career. The former Florida Gator averaged 14 points, two rebounds, and three assists per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. However, just like other Hornets players, his season came to an end due to an injury.
Mann is too important for the Hornets not to bring back, and here are some reasons why. He was the team's leading scorer off the bench and even led the NBA in points off the bench before he suffered a back injury. He suffered this injury in November and did not return for the rest of the season. On a team that was thin on guards, Charlotte could have used a player with his skillset to provide a scoring punch off the bench. Mann was also an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year and will look to get back to that form next year.
This summer Mann will become a restricted free agent, which means the Hornets could match any offer a team extends to him, or they could have a sign-and-trade deal with him. However, the four-year pro wants to stay in Charlotte based on his recent tweet. He tweeted last Saturday that “Postseason hoops will be back in CLT soon.” This provides some optimism that Mann believes in the culture being built in Charlotte and wants to be a part of getting the team back to the playoffs. With the playoffs beginning last Saturday, it was also very strategic on Mann’s part to tweet that out during that time.
There is no guarantee that Tre Mann will be on the Hornets next season. However, due to his recent play, Charlotte has to keep him as a part of the rotation. The only thing slowing him down is his back injury, but that could be a blessing in disguise, as other teams may be afraid to offer him a deal this summer because of the injury. Therefore, the Hornets could keep their spark plug off the bench after all. Mann had an impact in Charlotte last season, and the Hornets would have to be unwise to send him away.
