Getty Seth Curry #30 of the Brooklyn Nets.
If the Brooklyn Nets aren’t careful, they could see one of the ‘best value’ free agents walk out the door this offseason in veteran guard Seth Curry entertained returning to his hometown of Charlotte to play with the Hornets
“Growing up a Hornets fan, watching my dad play, you always think about one of us wearing that No. 30 Hornets jersey in the modern era,” Curry told Sam Albuquerque of Greenville News at the 2023 BMW Charity Pro-Am on June 9. “But like I always say, you never know in this league.”
Charlotte finished the regular season with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference but does have a talented passer in LaMelo Ball to get Curry wide-open looks.
Curry, 32, is an unrestricted free agent and should draw plenty of interest.
“I’ve always loved the Hornets,” Curry told Albuquerque. “If I wasn’t in the league that would be my favorite team. … so we’ll see what happens.”
Curry’s father, Dell Curry, spent 10 of his 16 seasons in the NBA with the Hornets and is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (701), two-point field goals made (3022), and has the dubious honor of leading in personal fouls. A career 40.2% three-point shooter himself, Dell Curry ranks second in Hornets’ history in threes made and attempted behind Kemba Walker.
Curry said he would have a better idea of his next team “towards the end of June”.
Seth Curry Among ‘Best Value’ Free Agents This Offseason
“The definition of instant offense, contenders can use the 6’2″ guard as a floor-spacer or put the ball in his hands and let him create for others as an underrated passer,” wrote Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on June 9. “While it may take the entire mid-level exception, Curry could still turn out to be one of the best value signings of 2023.”
Curry averaged 9.2 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds during the regular season while knocking down 40.5% of his threes; his seventh straight season shooting at least 40% from beyond the arc.
But he does more than just catch-and-shoot.
Just two players have shot at least 43.0% from deep while taking at least 1890 threes since the 2015-16 season, per Spotrac: Curry and Nets swingman Joe Harris.
Curry just finished a four-year, $32 million contract.
Harris, 31, averaged 7.6 points – his fewest since the 2015-16 campaign – with 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from three. His four-year $70 million contract has undercut his value as one of the best sharpshooters in the game on the trade market, though he is now heading into the final season of the deal.
Seth Curry Could Draw Plenty of Interest
Curry was floated as a potential target in free agency for the Chicago Bulls who ranked 30th in threes taken in 2022-23 and will have the full midlevel exception worth $12.2 million at their disposal.
The rival New York Knicks will also have the full MLE and have been mentioned as a possibility.
Brooklyn is less than $16 million away from the luxury tax line and general manager Sean Marks has already declared forward Cameron Johnson, 27, a “priority”. Johnson is expected to command a salary starting at $18 million per season, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, which would eat up that cushion and then some which should squeeze Curry out for good.
Assuming he does land elsewhere, Curry’s next stop will be his ninth since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013-14.
