Report: Former Cavs big man inks deal with Hornets

Former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Marques Bolden reportedly is signing a 10-day contract to join the Charlotte Hornets.

Bolden made his NBA debut with one game for the Cavs in the 2019-20 NBA campaign and then played six games for them the following season. The 25-year-old played two games for the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this season.

He averaged 1.0 point and 1.1 rebounds per game in his seven appearances for the Cavs. He did not score for the Bucks earlier this season.

However, Bolden has put up much better numbers in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ affiliate. The Duke University product has averaged 13.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game across 18 appearances in the G League’s 2023-24 regular season.

The Hornets are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with a 13-41 record. They have won three games in a row following a 10-game losing streak. Earlier this season, they endured a stretch of 19 losses in 21 games.

In stark contrast to that, the Cavaliers are faring much better this season and won 18 of 20 games on their way into the NBA All-Star break. The Cavs have a 36-17 record and sit in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics and just ahead of the Bucks.

Cleveland is back in action on Thursday against the Orlando Magic followed by a game at the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, the Cavs reportedly may be looking to add players as potential buyout targets. They reportedly had interest in Danilo Gallinari, but he actually signed with the Bucks instead.

Other potential targets reportedly include Joe Harris, Furkan Korkmaz, Davis Bertans, Seth Curry and Evan Fournier. Ultimately, only time will tell if the squad makes any more additions this season.

The Cavs have two games against the Hornets late next month and will also close the regular season against them. It will be interesting to see if Bolden can stick with Charlotte long enough to face his former club.