Hornets Eyeing Isaiah Thomas, Elfrid Payton, Kemba Walker

Along with those two, the Hornets continue to keep Kemba Walker on their radar, Stein noted.

Payton, 28, has bounced around a little since being selected by the Magic with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He spent last season with the Suns, appearing in 50 games and averaging 3.0 points.

He has also played for the Pelicans and Knicks.

Thomas, 33, finished last season in Charlotte and gave a fairly decent showing, playing 17 games and averaging 8.3 points on 43 percent shooting — his highest percentage since the 2016-17 season, when he was an All-Star.

Walker, 32, spent the first eight years of his career prior to a couple of seasons with the Celtics. He had a rocky run with the Knicks this past year, then was traded to the Pistons after the season. 

Walker and Detroit reportedly have already agreed to a contract buyout. He actually was part of a draft-night trade that sent him from the Knicks to the Pistons — and also involved the Hornets.

Last season, he averaged 13.7 points in 37 games last season, though the Knicks shut him down at the end of the year.

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Hornets, who have only added center Mark Williams via the draft and re-signed small forward Cody Martin.