Charlotte Hornets Hire Ryan Lamber as Director of Amateur Scouting

Changes continue in Charlotte While the Hornets recently hired Ryan Lambert as director of amateur scouting, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Lambert has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder for ten years and has continued to rise through the ranks of the scouting department. He started in 2012 as a basketball operations assistant and held that position for two seasons before being promoted to college scout. Since 2020, he has been the organization’s senior amateur scout.

This may seem like a minor move at first glance, but it could prove to be one of the most important pieces of the Charlotte Hornets puzzle. The Thunder have done a tremendous job of identifying talent in the draft, regardless of where they fall in the draft order. The Hornets got a little lucky in the lottery by putting themselves in position to land LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but outside of that, they’ve had several misfires.

For a small-market organization, the Hornets must rely on drafting and developing local talent. While they would love to sign high-level free agents, they would be better off devoting their time and resources to developing their own players.

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