Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Agrees to $52 Million Extension With Hornets

Ultimately, the Hornets may try playing Batum and Kidd-Gilchrist in the frontcourt together or possibly sliding Batum to the two and putting Kidd-Gilchrist at the three. The new salary cap rules prohibit Jordan from having a say in such matters as it may provide the Hornets will an unfair advantage with him at the helm.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.

It takes a willingness to get involved in the paint to put up defensive numbers like that, and Kidd-Gilchrist seems to have it given his comments, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): “I don’t like getting scored on by anyone in the league”.

Charlotte has been one of the most active teams in the 2015 season with multiple trades and free agents signing this summer.

High expectations were set for Kidd-Gilchrist when he was the player picked immediately after fellow Kentucky-star Anthony Davis in the 2012 NBA Draft; expectations that weren’t exactly meant to be labeled on the 2012 national champion.

Michael is coming off of a season where he averaged 10.9 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and shot 46% from the field, although he was limited to only 55 games past year because of injury. On offense, where he supposedly brings the team down, the Hornets are three points better per 100 possessions than they are without him. Kidd-Gilchrist, 21, has one-year and $6.3 million left in his original rookie contract.

The knock on Kidd-Gilchrist has always been that he can’t shoot jump shots and rightfully so.

However, MKG’s value to the Hornets proved to be quite substantial last season.

Whatever head coach Steve Clifford decides to do, expect Kidd-Gilchrist to continue to earn significant minutes in Charlotte’s rotation.