Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
2025 Free Agents - Tre Mann
After being drafted 18th overall by the Thunder in 2021, Mann actually got some decent playing time as a rookie, playing in over 1,300 non-garbage time minutes, according to Cleaning the Glass. Unfortunately for Mann, his minutes declined over the years as the Thunder become better and more competitive, and he was traded to the Hornets at the trade deadline in 2024. Mann has some real ability to create space off the dribble. He has a tight handle and multiple moves to go to, which allows him to create separation from defenders when getting to a stepbacks or pullup jumpers. He's a 34.5% 3-point shooter, which is below average, but not bad considering how many he takes that are off-the-dribble attempts. He doesn't get to the rim that often and struggles to finish there. Mann isn't a playmaker for others yet, posting low assist rates and overall not showing great feel for picking apart defenses and finding teammates when he creates an advantage. Defensively, Mann is somewhat undersized and isn't an elite athlete, so he struggles on that end. His size hurts him in his bulk rather than his length, as he is a solid 6'5" but just pretty skinny and can get knocked off his spot when an opposing player drives on him. He also doesn't put a ton of effort in on that end, often being too casual both in on-ball and off-ball situations. Mann is still fairly young, as he'll be 24 years old as a free agent in 2025. He has shown some flashes of real skill, but either needs to become a truly great scoring threat or improve on his weaknesses in order to really stick and have a long career as a rotation-level player. There are some Jordan Clarkson-looking tendencies to his game, so I think that's a reasonable upside for him.
Summary
Mann will be a restricted free agent with a $14.7 million cap hold, $7 million Qualifying Offer, and full Bird Rights. If he plays 2,000 minutes or starts 41 in the regular season, his QO would riase to $8.7 million. I wouldn't expect Mann's QO to come into play, but I wouldn't completely rule it out considering it may actually be higher than his market value starting salary. There's also a chance that the Hornets don't tender him a Qualifying Offer, which would make Mann an unrestricted free agent. Depending on how close the Hornets are to the luxury tax after free agency, if Mann is brought back by the Hornets on a multi-year contract they could benefit from frontloading his contract, as it could give them additional flexibility in the future. Other teams will have multiple ways to sign Mann as even teams without cap space could use any of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, Room MLE, or possibly even the Taxpayer MLE or Bi-Annual Exception to sign him to an offer sheet (although you rarely see offer sheets for less than the full MLE). However, Mann being a restricted free agent could greatly lower his interest among teams, as they will worry that the only way to pry him away from Charlotte would be to overpay him. There's also a chance that he's an unrestricted free agent with modest offers.
Cap Considerations
Miles McBride (3 years, $13 million, 2024) Payton Pritchard (4 years, $30 million, 2023) Talen Horton-Tucker (2+1 years, $31 million, 2021)