The Hornets signed former Heat point guard Marcus Garrett to a ten-day contract, the team confirmed Wednesday morning.
Hornets Sign Journeyman Point Guard to Ten-Day Contract
Garrett, who averaged 1.1 points per game in 12 games with the Heat, is best known for spending four seasons with the Kansas Jayhawks from 2017-2021, where he earned two All-Big 12 team selections and three Big 12 All-Defense nods. Since going undrafted, Garrett has spent the majority of his career shuttling around various G League teams. Garrett spent the last six months with the Hornets’ G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. In 25 games this season, he averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 43% from the field.
The move comes after the Hornets opted not to renew point guard Malachi Flynn‘s ten-day contract. Flynn, best known for his 50-point outburst with the Detroit Pistons last season, averaged four points and 1.8 assists in four games with the Hornets.
“Marcus could take over a game defensively whether he was guarding the 1 or the 5,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, remarking on the former Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. “He had a different level that I don’t know if we’ve ever had anybody else get to.”
Garrett is expected to join the team in Atlanta today for their game against the Hawks.
Hornets Gain Depth, Defense with Marcus Garrett Signing
The Hornets have cycled through several journeymen guards to compensate for injuries to Tre Mann, Josh Okogie, and LaMelo Ball. Marcus Garrett becomes the third guard to receive a ten-day contract from the Hornets behind Flynn and Elfrid Payton. They were able to sign these players to ten-day contracts through a hardship exception — the team has four players expected to miss at least five weeks of basketball in Mann, Okogie, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams.
Like Payton and Flynn, Garrett will provide depth for an ailing, inexperienced team wading through a miserable rebuilding season.
It’s not to say that Garrett is just another name on a depth chart. Garrett turned heads in college for his stiff, unflinching defense. He’s 6’5″ with a 6’10” wingspan and has both the athleticism and intelligence to guard multiple positions. He’s agile and strong, is a pesky defender, and racks up steals at an incredible rate; he averaged 1.4 steals per game for the Swarm. Garrett is also an able playmaker, a pinpoint shooter, and a capable leader in the locker room.
Garrett’s ability to get minutes hinges on the availability of senior members of the team — namely Ball, who has struggled with ankle complications throughout the season. Although Ball featured in the Hornets’ games against both Miami on Monday and Atlanta on Wednesday, his availability is never certain. Garrett will have to muscle his way through a packed backcourt rotation to see any real game time.
Although Garrett’s lack of a true offensive game holds back his potential to become a permanent member of the Hornets, his experience and gritty defense still make him an exciting figure to watch over the next five to six games.
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