Hornets Sign Center Harry Giles to One-Year Contract

The Charlotte Hornets and free agent center Harry Giles have agreed to a one-year deal, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management, told Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday. The Duke alum and North Carolina native returns home for a chance to compete for a roster spot with the Hornets.

Giles, 26, was selected 20th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2017 NBA draft. However, the 6-foot-11 big man was immediately traded to the Sacramento Kings for Zach Collins. Giles went on to sit out the entire 2017-18 NBA season while recovering from ACL surgery.

🚨 Per @ShamsCharania, the Charlotte Hornets have signed Harry Giles III to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/BL1vmwBqn6

— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) September 22, 2024

Through 165 career NBA regular-season games (17 starts), Giles has averaged 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 11.7 minutes per contest while shooting 50.8% from the field, 24.4% from 3-point range, and 66.1% at the free throw line. His career usage rate is 21.2% as well.

In 58 games off the bench with the Kings in his rookie 2018-19 season, he averaged career highs of 7.0 points and 1.5 assists while shooting 50.3% from the floor and 63.7% at the foul line.

In Sacramento’s 132-116 loss to the Orlando Magic on Aug. 2, 2020, the Duke product recorded a career-high 23 points on 9-of-11 (81.8%) shooting from the field and 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the line.

Harry Giles joins veteran center Nick Richards, third-year center Mark Williams on the Charlotte Hornets

Last season, in 23 games off the bench split between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged career lows of 2.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 4.3 minutes per contest.

Brooklyn waived Giles in February, and he then signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in March. Los Angeles signed Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes to minimum contracts with player options last summer.

Nonetheless, injuries led to the Lakers searching for help in the frontcourt late in the season, which led to Giles’ signing. He played in 16 games with the Nets and seven with Los Angeles.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he saw potential in Giles when the team signed him in March.

“Obviously, he’s a really good young player, and he was available. But [he’s] also someone that we can take a long, hard look at in terms of implementing him into the program,” Ham said of Giles.

“I feel like he still has a ton of upside, he just needed to get to the right program, and we have the coaches to try to help him get better.”

Giles will now join a Hornets team that is coming off a 21-61 (.256) season.