Underutilized in OKC, Tre Mann gets to run with Hornets

PHOTO | TROY HULL

Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann was a throw-in at the NBA trade deadline, but he's showed considerable skill in his first three games with his new team.

Tre Mann stayed calm through the thunder.

After two and a half seasons in Oklahoma City, the third-year combo guard was uprooted at the trade deadline and dealt to Charlotte, where he’s rediscovered his love for basketball.

Longing for an opportunity, Mann was slotted behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s embarrassment of riches in the backcourt. After playing in 60-plus games in his first two seasons, including over 30 starts, Mann was relegated to the bench this season under head coach Mark Daigenault.

Mann saw action in just 13 games for the Thunder through 51 contests, averaging just nine minutes per appearance. He knew it was time for a change of scenery but wasn’t going to waste his opportunity sitting behind one of the NBA’s best guards.

“It’s a blessing to be able to come here, start right away, and get the opportunity to play,” Mann said. “OKC was a really good team, and I didn’t play, but I watched – everything. I watched Shai, I watched the plays, end-of-game situations, and Mark. I was just trying to soak up everything while I wasn’t playing, and now that I’m here getting that opportunity, hopefully I can transfer that to here.”

Trial by fire

Although just a three-game sample size before the NBA’s All-Star break, it’s clear that Mann’s taken a major step since being drafted 18th overall by Oklahoma City in 2021.

Mann is shooting career highs across the board since being traded just days after his 23rd birthday, including 45.7% from the field, 46.2% from beyond the arc on over four attempts per game, and 100% from the free throw line. At 6-foot-3, Mann is pulling down seven rebounds per game and dishing out 7.3 assists – over four times his best assist average of 1.8 per game in Oklahoma City.

While Mann’s usage rate has increased drastically, so has his turnover rate (2.3 per game), but that is to be expected for a young guard slotted as a starter on a team which he’s never practiced with. Charlotte head coach Steve

Clifford told media the Hornets didn’t practice before Mann’s first game as a starter and that Mann requested the Hornets’ playbook as soon as he boarded the plane to Charlotte following the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

“It hasn’t been an easy transition, coming out and not knowing any of the plays, but I’m just going out there trying to play basketball and make winning plays,” Mann said. “It’s crazy. I’m out there lost a little bit. Coach Cliff and the guys on the court with me do a good job of communicating, trying to get me in the simple spots right now.”

Mann hadn’t played more than 25 minutes in a regular season game since April 2023 and was thrown into the starting lineup for his first NBA action in nearly a month with Charlotte’s new-look roster. He’s played 27, 34 and 30 minutes in his first three games adding a season-best of 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals on 80% shooting from beyond the arc in a dominating 122-99 performance against Atlanta on Feb. 14.

While his usage as a primary ball-handler is sure to dwindle upon LaMelo Ball’s return, Mann’s versatility to play both guard positions, facilitate and connect on the three-ball (career 34.4% shooter) makes him an ideal candidate as the starting shooting guard – slotting the starting five as Ball, Mann, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Nick Richards, until Mark Williams’ eventual return from a lower back injury.

Mann has one year left on his contract, warranting $4.9 million in 2024-25, where he will become a restricted free agent that summer. This means that Charlotte has nearly a year and a half, on a relatively inexpensive deal, to see Mann’s progression and plan for the future.

When asked about the best asset he would bring to the Hornets’ rotation, Mann used one word – “playmaking.”

“I feel like I did a good job this summer, and last summer, of working on (playmaking) and my scoring abilities,” he said. “Just being able to make a play, whether it be for myself or a teammate, using my creativity with the ball in my hands.”

While Mann still has a lot to prove, veterans have taken notice of his talents. 

‘Mann is nice’

Mann attended a Damian Lillard pro camp after his second NBA season, which is for professional players looking to turn the corner in their careers, according to Lillard. Mann’s quick first step, playmaking, and shot-creating abilities reminded Lillard of a former teammate, Anfernee Simons, who is having a career season in Portland.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be in Oklahoma City, but wherever it’s at, Tre Mann is nice,” Lillard said on a recent podcast. “They’re deep over there. I think he’s going to have to move, but when he gets an opportunity somewhere, I’m telling you. He reminds me, like how he does stuff, and what he’s capable of, how (Simons) is. The same thing I saw in (Simons), is how I see him.”

Simmons is averaging 22.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in his sixth season.

Being traded is part of the life of an NBA player, and every deadline brings a somber feeling throughout the locker room as friends, families and teammates are separated and relocated. But it’s a business, and Mann praised Presti, who gave him his chance in the league as a lottery pick, following the trade.

“Actually, (Thunder general manager) Sam Presti did a really good job keeping me in the loop. I respect him a lot for that,” Mann said. “I kind of knew that I would be gone on the deadline day, and we were home, so I was able to pack. They gave me a night, so I was prepared for it. It was a crazy couple of days, but I’m excited to be here.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, Mann’s former teammate and an MVP candidate, spoke to the Oklahoma City media about the impacts of trades – especially when families are involved.

“It’s a lot, it’s pretty disruptive both ways, like someone coming out, someone coming in in the middle of the season,” he said. “Especially when you have families involved. Tre just had a kid. It’s a lot. It’s part of the business.”

Mann’s first-born son, Elias Lee, was born on Feb. 3, just five days before Mann was traded - and the two share a birthday. When told that Mann would be starting in his first game in Charlotte, Gilgeous-Alexander’s face lit up.

“Oh my – I didn’t even know that,” he said. “He should be really good. I’m going to watch; I’m going to be recording the whole thing. I can’t wait.”

Love of the game

Going from the end of the bench to playing heavy minutes and being relied on to drive an offense – all while taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood – is a stark contrast. And Mann’s new teammates have provided support both on and off the court.

“Talented guy,” said new teammate Seth Curry, who was traded to Charlotte from Dallas the same day as Mann. “He can play both (guard) positions. He’s getting his reps in. He made a couple of mistakes, but he’s being aggressive scoring the ball, passing the ball, and pushing the pace. I’ll continue to learn about his game every day we go along and try and help him out as well.”

After Charlotte’s most recent victory, which extended their win streak to a season-best three games, Clifford praised Mann’s attention to detail.

“He’s diligent. It shows thought and it shows he’s going home and saying, ‘I want to be on top of stuff.’ I think for him, a lot of it is just confidence, and getting a chance to play regularly,” Clifford said.

That last part is the key. While Mann prioritized being a sponge while watching from the Oklahoma City sideline, he missed getting to play at the highest level.

“I’m super excited. I wasn’t playing a lot, and in the league, you want to play basketball because you love it,” Mann said at his introductory press conference in Charlotte. “I just feel a lot less pressure (now). Going out there knowing that I’ll get the opportunity to play through mistakes, play basketball, and not have to think about the other stuff. It feels great. Once my legs get back under me, I should be fine.”

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