November 30, 2020 – Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has signed center Vernon Carey Jr. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Drafted by the Hornets with the 32nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 6-10 Carey played one season at Duke, where he was named USBWA Freshman of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, while earning Consensus All-American Second Team, All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Freshman Team honors. Carey averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 assists in 24.9 minutes per game, while shooting .577 from the field, including .381 from three-point range. The Miami, Florida, native led the ACC in field goal percentage and ranked third in scoring, fourth in rebounding and sixth in blocks, making him the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in each of those categories.