Photos courtesy of the NBA via Getty Images
THE FLATS – It took Josh Okogie less than two weeks to become a fan favorite in Charlotte … Okogie proves his worth with the Hornets, will they keep him? … James Banks III returns to Maine Celtics, who also trade for the rights to Derrick Favors … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
IT TOOK JOSH OKOGIE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO BECOME FAN FAVORITE IN CHARLOTTE
Josh Okogie was drafted in 2018 during the first round of the NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He now finds himself playing for his third different team, the Charlotte Hornets, after a trade with the Phoenix Suns that also involved Nick Richards and four total second-round picks.
Okogie has played five games with Charlotte, averaging 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per contest.
In his first outing in a Hornets uniform, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket had five points, four rebounds, and one assist. But his latest performance against the Los Angeles Lakers inside the Spectrum Center saw him put up 19 points, two rebounds, two assists, and four steals.
On Friday, January 24, Okogie recorded his first double-double as a Hornet against the Trail Blazers at home, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds off the bench.
The Hornets are undefeated in the Josh Okogie era. pic.twitter.com/4zTNoOhUdc
— HornetsHoops (@hornetshoops_) January 16, 2025
Josh Okogie tonight:
19 PTS
2 REB
2 AST
4 STL
6/11 FG
3 3PM
+8 +/-Impact player. pic.twitter.com/Z5hMatS778
— HornetsHoops (@hornetshoops_) January 28, 2025
JOSH OKOGIE PROVES HIS WORTH WITH THE HORNETS
It took him a little while to get acclimated, but Josh Okogie has arrived. The Charlotte Hornets added him to help match salaries with the Phoenix Suns when they traded Nick Richards and initially were reportedly looking at flipping him. A few games later, that may not be the wisest decision.
Of course, if the Hornets get blown away by an offer, they’re hardly in a position to refuse. With the season slipping away and LaMelo Ball possibly out for a while, any major assets they can add for the future are more than welcome. They probably shouldn’t be actively shopping Okogie, though.
Okogie has a very small sample size in Charlotte, but he certainly looks the part of the only real lockdown defender on the roster. Cody Martin is good, but Okogie had the Los Angeles Lakers frustrated last night.
Josh Okogie’s reach with the #Hornets extends beyond stats. Spoke with him about it.
How he’s impacting his new team and why it could be a good thing to keep him around.https://t.co/BEQeC9PmTb
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) January 27, 2025
🚨 Josh Okogie’s Fresh Start in Charlotte
After starting the 2024-25 season with the Phoenix Suns, Okogie is now thriving with the @hornets post-trade.Here’s why his early impact and mindset are worth highlighting. An Exclusive by @GrantAfseth 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/kpbWVU5NlF
— Hoops @ Sportskeeda (@SK_Hoops) January 29, 2025
MAINE CELTICS SIGN JAMES BANKS III, TRADE FOR DERRICK FAVORS
James Banks III, who helped the Maine Celtics reach the NBA G League finals last season, is returning to the team.
The team announced Thursday that Banks, who played 44 games for Maine last season, will fill the open roster spot vacated by Dmytro Skapintsev, whose rights were traded to Rip City last week. Banks has been playing in Greece.
Last season, he averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game. He has played 128 G League games in his career with Maine, Texas and Birmingham.
Derrick Favors most recently played in the G League for the Windy City Bulls during the 2023-24 season.
He averaged 5.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 66.7% from the field in 19 regular season games (five starts).
According to the G League’s official transaction page, the Windy City Bulls have now traded his rights to the Maine Celtics.
It’s unclear if Favors will actually play for Maine.