Hornets ink pair of first round draft picks

"We’re excited to have Hilton and Cedric officially signed so they can begin their NBA careers," said Hornets general manager Jeff Bower. "We look forward to their Hornets debut in summer league and to watching them develop as we head toward the start of the regular season."

Armstrong blossomed during his senior season at Connecticut, taking home Big East Defensive Player of Year honors while averaging 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per contest.

Simmons was an honorable mention All-ACC Selection and an All-ACC Defensive team performer as a sophomore with North Carolina State last season. The big man totaled 11.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds for the Wolfpack while his 115 career blocks ranks seventh best in school history.

Before inking the pair of young frontline stoppers, the Hornets kicked off free agency by agreeing to terms with several players. New Orleans/Oklahoma City improved its backcourt by reportedly agreeing to contracts with Bobby Jackson and Peja Stojakovic and yesterday apparently added more size to its frontcourt by trading P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith to Chicago for Tyson Chandler. Those deals can’t become official until July 12th.