As the second round of the NBA Draft waned on the evening of June 24, it was becoming clear to Illinois guard Kylan Boswell and his agency that going undrafted was a likely reality. The last few picks were announced, and although he didn’t hear his name called, multiple teams were showing interest in scooping him up as an undrafted free agent. From there, Boswell was just focused on “finding a good fit” to begin his professional career.
The Charlotte Hornets ended up being the team that put pen to paper with the former Illini, inking Boswell to a two-way contract. The Hornets had shown interest in Boswell for some time, and with them trading away All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and guard Josh Green, they needed backcourt depth.
“I met with Charlotte at the (Portsmouth Invitational Tournament), and they came to a lot of the practices throughout the season,” Boswell said. “I knew they liked me a lot. And I really liked Charlotte, too. So just overall, it seemed like a good fit.”
From what Boswell has experienced so far, it makes sense that Charlotte had its eye on him during the draft process. The Hornets’ philosophy fits his style of play. They like downhill guards, Boswell said, that can be aggressive and make plays. But most importantly, their focus on the defensive end excites Boswell, as it’s something he’s hung his hat on throughout his college career.
“I think they’re huge with, defensively, guards specifically; that’s been a big emphasis since I’ve been here,” Boswell said. “They call it a MIG, most important guy. So I think our principles kind of really align. I think that will kind of be my niche, is my presence defensively and being a pest.”
Boswell debuted for Charlotte at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas last month. After a very slow first game – scoreless in 14 minutes – Boswell found his stride, bouncing back with a strong 8 point, 7 rebound, 4 assist outing. While showing his ability to be productive in multiple ways, Boswell was also efficient, shooting perfectly from the field and not turning the ball over.
With that performance as a springboard, Boswell finished the Hornets’ five Summer League games averaging 5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3 assists in 15.2 minutes, while shooting 50% from three. Hornets Summer League head coach Blaine Mueller said after Boswell’s second game that he “played with more confidence,” and that seemed to be the case for the remainder of Summer League.
Boswell’s comfortability with Charlotte’s style of play certainly helped him adjust quickly. He said it mirrors what he did as a junior at Illinois, including a lot of “small-to-small pick-and-rolls, off-ball action, situations like that.”
Even though Illinois and four years of college basketball have set Boswell up for success at the next level, there are still things that he will need to adjust to as a pro.
“I think physicality though just from some of the games, I can’t even imagine a playoff game,” Boswell said. “It’s just a different level for sure. There’s times in college where you can be a little lackadaisical with your movements and stuff like that. You can’t be like that when you’re playing (in the NBA), so it’s definitely a different level.”
On his two-way contract, Boswell will split time between Charlotte and its G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. A majority of his minutes will come in the G League next season, where Boswell will be one of the Swarm’s key pieces. He’ll have a chance to get meaningful reps against NBA-level talent and be fully immersed in Charlotte’s development system.
Although he likely won’t see much game action in the NBA this season, Boswell is staying ready for his opportunity. A two-way contract puts him with one foot in the league, a chance he knows does not come easy, and he’s not planning on letting the opportunity go to waste. The NBA has always been a “lifelong goal,” so whether it’s playing significant minutes in Greensboro or being a reliable role player when his name is called in Charlotte, Boswell will put his best foot forward.
“I’m part of an NBA team,” Boswell said. “I’ve worked my ass off to get to this point. I know there’s people who would love to be in this position, so I just try to take it head on and just be as hard as I can with the situation.”
@sahil_mittal24