Hornets give injury updates on new draft picks, knocking one out for summer league

Don’t expect to see KJ Simpson in summer league action, and it’s going to be a while before Tidjane Salaün suits up for his first game with the Charlotte Hornets.

Just days after selecting Salaün sixth overall in the NBA Draft and taking Simpson in the second round, the Hornets announced neither is going to participate in the team’s summer league minicamp in Sacramento, California, this week, with Simpson missing the entire summer due to a hamstring injury suffered during the pre-draft process.

The Hornets say Simpson, who played at Colorado, will continue to rehabilitate throughout the summer and is expected to be fully recovered and available in time for the beginning of training camp in September.

Salaün, the 18-year-old Frenchman, suffered a minor laceration near his knee, but it’s not serious enough to knock him out of action for the whole summer. Although he’ll be forced to skip the California Classic, he’s expected to be available to make his debut during the Hornets’ appearance at the Las Vegas Summer League. Charlotte’s first game comes July 13 against New York.

Prior to going to Nevada, the Hornets will begin summer league play against San Antonio on July 6 at Golden 1 Arena. They also match up with the Chinese national team on July 8 prior to finishing up against Sacramento on July 9.

Charlotte’s full summer team roster is expected to be released this week.