While his age, size of contract might be a gamble, Hornets, Marco Belinelli seem to be a fit: The Charlotte Hornets asked shooting guard Nic Batum what he thought of Marco Belinelli before completing the trade that acquired Belinelli from the Sacramento Kings. "I said, ‘Do it right now!’" Batum recalled Monday with a sense of gusto. Batum and Belinelli have played against each other since they were teenagers in Europe. -- The Charlotte Observer

Hornets players still devising plan to help Charlotte heal in aftermath of shooting, protests: Charlotte Hornets captain Kemba Walker said he and teammates are still formulating how best to help Charlotte heal in the aftermath of the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. "We’re going to get into the community to do what we can to help. Right now, I don’t know how, but it’s in the works and will happen," Walker said during the team’s pre-training camp media day Monday. -- The Charlotte Observer

How high should expectations be for the Charlotte Hornets this season?: The last time the Charlotte Hornets tried to repeat as a playoff team, high preseason expectations that included the offseason signing of free agent Lance Stephenson turned into an injury-riddled 33-49 disappointment. As the Hornets held media day on Monday at Spectrum Center, coach Steve Clifford and one player after another talked about their personal hopes of at least a repeat of last year's playoff run - if not more. -- Gaston Gazette