2025 Draft Media Availability – Jeff Peterson

2025 Draft Media Availability – Jeff Peterson

overall just can you just tell us how you’re feeling after the draft draft night of day one tonight yep yep uh no very excited um just really you know proud of of our group our scouting group analytics strategy coaching department like everyone had you know played a huge role into our process and um look we got you know a couple guys that we feel really really good about moving forward with so exciting jeff what was it about Khan that made you pick him forward you know I think he just has a combination of um you know skill IQ um versatility uh he embodies just what we want to be about from a you know Hornets DNA standpoint um he makes others better uh he doesn’t he doesn’t need the credit um he’s happy for his teammates so I I could go on and on and on of course the shooting um but yeah we just we we saw him early on in the process and really identified him and continue to follow him so we’re excited to have him as a as a Hornet how does he help your guard depth overall yeah I think just again with the with the shooting and and he’s more than just a shooter he’s he’s he’s a versatile player but of course the shooting that helps i think with spacing when you got LaMelo and Brandon out there just the gravity that he’ll provide um on the floor but um again he can handle it some i think you saw that actually you know when they played here in the uh ACC tournament when when Cooper got hurt and and he you know he kind of um had to shoulder the load at at that position so um again just his overall versatility is going to help us a ton obviously made one deal tonight was there a chance to make another deal meaning like obviously Ace Billy was there at four was there a chance to kind of maybe get some more assets move back what What happened there yeah we we we had some opportunities uh to to move back um I certainly had some conversations but again we we felt like it it just it wasn’t worth the uh the the cost I would say to move back um to to potentially miss out on on Khan so K told us that he had a dinner with you and Charles early in the draft process and he said that he felt really good after that what is that memory to you and did you kind of walk away from that dinner with a similar feeling yeah it was a great dinner uh we ate too much uh but um he you know for me I I think you go the entire season of watching these guys play um and then you get to sit with them for hours and get to know their personality and um you know truly figure out what makes them tick uh what motivates them so just getting more insight to to his personality um was was great he you know I think he was he wasn’t very excited about Charles and I he was very excited though about Andy Dalton who was in the restaurant with us so You guys uh Supperland is we went to Sland yeah if the season started today you might have a 69 center uh in Musa how much of a priority right now either be of the rest of this draft or going forward the rest of the summer is to possibly find a solid 611 or 7footer yeah I’d like to you know we we I think we would like to continue to add some some depth to the front court um of course we still have of Nerkage on the roster as well um so who gives us size and um you know just his he’s been in the league forever so experience so with with Nerkage and Musa I feel good there but again I I do think we would like to add some depth in that that position was getting back into the first round something that you were pretty predetermined to do today or is it something that as the first round went on you saw an opportunity later on the evening yeah I’d say it it happened a little bit earlier this morning um we started to get get some calls about you know things could get move around a little bit um and uh you know I I can’t get into all the details of the trade of course but it um again we felt good about it as I always said like we’re going to always be strategic and opportunistic anytime we could pick up two first round picks like you know we’re going to we’re going to take a hard look at that you mentioned that uh Kipple ACC tourney run here in Charlotte how much because Cooper flag goes down he’s pretty much the guy on offense for them how much did that influence your decision to take uh I I wouldn’t say it influenced it it certainly helped um you know I it more than anything I think it just kind of showed his again his versatility and his ability to to rise to the occasion um again Cooper goes down and you know defense they’re going to lock in on him and game plan for him so and he was able to handle the pressure so it certainly helped uh you know I don’t think it was it wasn’t the end all beall to the decision but it it it was a valuable piece talking about that meeting with them there were some reports about you guys not meeting with some prospects but I know you’ve kept them secret in the past with Ton did you work out all the players that you wanted to and how much do you prioritize a personal workout with the team when deciding to pull the trigger on that personal workouts are are important um with that said I’ve been a part of plenty of draft processes where you don’t get to work out a a prospect that you’re you know you want to just because of the range that you’re picking in you know inevitably the agents they they do their job of trying to protect their players from um I’d say working out for teams that unreal you know realistically they’re not in their range so um but again that’s why we go watch games throughout the season and um you know have Zoom interviews with these guys whatever it may be meet them in Chicago to get to know them uh more show the emphasis on shooting with both prospects you added tonight what does that say about the team from last year what you guys are trying to revamp and what it looks like going forward yeah I I think look shooting’s a premium in this league um so I think anything anytime I’m sorry you can add shooting you got to take a hard look at it uh but again I think that the thing about both of these guys Khan and Liam um they’re more than just shooters you know they both come from obviously incredible programs coached very well um very tough um so again we’re we’re excited about just their overall package uh but of course the shooting is is a is a bonus as well going back to the guards we had a chance to ask you about Trey obviously just where’s he right now with you guys do you want him to to come back and be a part of his team yeah bring uh bringing Trey back is a priority for us so I’m I’m having conversations with with Trey and his representation and um you know I I think I don’t see any reason why he’s not back i know it’s early but I mean as you start to shape next year’s roster uh you know after tonight then going tomorrow do you anticipate a big change overall in the makeup of the team um I I don’t think so as we stand here right now no i mean but again I I always got to be strategic and and look at everything so I you know if something comes my way I got to take a look at it but right now I I I don’t I think right now we’re just focused on the second round people are pointing out a lot of similarities between the two players you took tonight what are the differences between Khan and Liam yeah I think Khan I would say he’s he’s probably again he handled the ball a little bit more at Duke than than Liam did at uh at Yukon liam Liam can handle some but I think again their overall size Liam’s a little bit taller um you know Khan probably can guard down a little bit more Liam can go up so they have some differences for sure looking at what you did tonight and the overall scope of the roster what are some types of players you think you’re going to target tomorrow at round two uh look we want we always want competitors um we do value positional size we value um shooting IQ you know just um again those are kind of the core tenants that we like to look for um of course relative to position so um you know fortunately we’re we’re at the top of the second round which I I like both of those picks a lot i think we’ll get you know a couple really good players uh hopefully who’s in front of us boston and Minnesota don’t don’t take anyone from us and uh we’ll be able to get a couple more good players both both guys you added have played with some really spectacular players under high school college and both how much does that bring value to their readiness to play in the NBA and maybe be complimentary to the Metal Brand and the other yeah it’s it’s a good point you know Liam obviously coming from Mont Verde and then of course going to Yukon and then Khan at Duke uh again I I just think those guys they’re built for the moment um you know the pressure doesn’t get to them um they’ve lived it again they’re they’re coached really really hard um they put the time in they work so uh I would say both of course there’s going to be somewhat of a learning curve when they get to this level but again I think both are um ready to rise to the occasion charles was very excited on the Zoom call with a draft party what was his reaction or what was his input on these two guys he was very excited in person um again throughout this is why Charles is is great cuz he you know he likes to be a part of the process he studies film on these guys he of course he came to the combine he draft workouts um even during the season he’ll ask me about different college college uh prospects so um very excited that you know that we were able to get Khan and Liam Ace Bailey didn’t work out for you guys and would you have considered him had he worked out or Yeah no no and we considered him even though he didn’t work out um again I think at the end of the day it just we felt a bit more comfortable with Khan um but yeah that’s again each agent and player they have their own process that can’t can’t knock so it wasn’t something that you just that’s why you No no no no no no the two picks tomorrow that we foretold this strategy make them open do you think you have you going to make them open you think you have enough roster space to do four players and stuff so we we we definitely have enough roster space um I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like some of it will depend on free agency so you know the good thing is we have the the optionality to to make them both and keep them or or maybe move around a little bit one of the terms that has been used to describe Khan’s games is the connector the connectability what do you see or where do you see that his game and best way to kind of describe that i I just think he’s he’s willing to do whatever it’s pretty simple whatever he needs to do to help his team have the best possession on either end so if that’s you know again he can handle the ball but if that means he needs to go set a screen for a teammate he’ll do that and if he needs to roll he’ll do that if he needs to pop he’ll do that um you know he can execute DHO’s he can uh you know again initiate the offense um and then defensively he’s going to communicate um I would say his his process his ability to process things at a at a pretty quick speed um helps him on that end so he can help direct guys on that end as well so those are all I I would say traits to to be able to connect you talked about not skipping steps in the offseason and just trying to fill this thing up the way you want to have the same years upon years how is this off season would you say kind of stacking up in your vision to make this thing work the way you want to going forward uh I look I I I love where we are right now you know coming into this draft it was like let’s let’s try to get a a few good swings at it um to add some good young players that we can continue to to to grow and continue to be a part of our core moving forward so um obviously we’ll see how free agency shakes out but I I think we’re in a in a really good spot you know our uh financial flexibility is in a great space moving forward um we have a lot of picks still so again we acquired two more tonight used one but um I think we’re in a really good space going forward and since we got your words where’s Brandon Miller and how healthy is he and how close is he to being full he is he looks very impressive right now um he’s in the gym he’s working out um so he’s it’s been exciting i’m more I’m just excited for him because it it really really hurt him to to be out last season and not be out there with uh his teammates his brothers so I’m excited for him because he’s he’s put the work in to to get to this point obviously late but have you heard from any of the players after you guys made the two picks that you did uh I have not no year two in Charlotte how much did your draft process change from year one to this year after getting a full season in the job um I I’d say it it changed from the standpoint of just you know having a full year here with our scouts and our you know the analytics group um medical performance again coaching staff so you know last year was I got here in March so it it it just happened fast um you know you’re getting opinions from the scouts here and I knew how we viewed players when I was back in Brooklyn so you kind of just trying to gauge everything um but this year I think look everyone’s much more comfortable with their role and and things like that

Jeff Peterson spoke to the media after the conclusion of the 1st round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
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