Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George did not hold back when discussing one franchise he would avoid in free agency. During a recent episode of his

George did give a shoutout to the city of Charlotte for being a great city, and while he kind of hedged his criticism of the Hornets by saying he could see himself playing there, the comment still stands -- and he's not wrong, either. The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016 and have only one winning record in the last nine years.

If Paul George is ever searching for a new team, you can cross the Charlotte Hornets off his list of desired destinations. The Philadelphia 76ers forward recent

A top trade candidate this offseason came off the board on Saturday when the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to sign former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to a two-year, $11 million deal following his buyout by the Washington Wizards,

Traded to Charlotte in January, Josh Okogie appeared in 16 games and made six starts, averaging 8.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.

Peterson played in 15 games for Maine last season. He averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6 assists, shooting 40.4% from 3-point range and 44.2% from the field. The 6-foot-9 forward also suited up in 25 contests for the Celtics, where he shot 39.4% from the 3-point line. However, Peterson has now made the decision to move on from Boston.

Among players who made 20-plus appearances, Okogie trailed only Dyson Daniels, Alex Caruso and Paul Reed in steals per 100 possessions ( 3.7, per NBA.com). His 4.8 deflections per 36 minutes were ninth-most among players who logged 500-plus minutes.

During a time of year when most Americans clock out of work and dive into a body of water somewhere, the Charlotte Hornets' President of Basketball Operations has been wheeling and dealing. A flurry of trades,