Welcome to the second edition of our Charlotte Hornets mailbag.

You asked, I answered. Every week of the NBA season we'll be dissecting questions provided by you, the loyal readers, on the platform previously known as Twitter.

Let's dive in.

From Caleb Wygal (@calebwygal): "Now that the Hornets declined Tidjane Salaün's option, what are the odds he'd accept an offer from Charlotte if he continues to improve and keep a spot in the rotation?"

This is a hot button topic after Tidjane's explosive second quarter on Monday night.

Before I answer the question, I want to lay out some of my thoughts on Salaün at this juncture.

I totally understand Charlotte's decision to decline Tidjane's fourth-year option. Getting his $10M off of the books for 2027-28 is a defensible choice, especially when you consider just how poorly Salaün has played across the entirety NBA career.

Until the flashes (which, let's be clear: even Tidjane's seven minutes in Heaven on Monday night should still just be considered a flash) become even more consistent, there's no reason to pile on the Hornets' front office for declining the option. He hasn't earned that money yet, and that's okay. And with Grant Williams looking likely to return from his hamstring injury against Phoenix tonight, how much Tidjane will we even see moving forward?

The Hornets are in an interesting spot here. Do they play Tidjane to showcase him for potential suitors at the trade deadline? Do they play him and continue to develop him knowing that he could leave in free agency next summer? I'm glad I'm not the one having to make that decision.

To answer the question: I'd say there's about a 30% chance that he accepts an offer from Charlotte next summer.

It would be pretty unprecedented. Players who have their fourth-year options declined just don't usually end up agreeing to long-term deals with the franchise that drafted them after that show of non-faith happens.

I'm willing to put the number at 30% though because nothing about the Tidjane experience has been that conventional, and if he does continue to make strides this season, something in the ballpark of three-years, $24M with some team-friendly options (think the Tre Mann contract from the summer of 2025) could be enticing to both sides depending on how much league-wide interest there is in Salaün.

Which...is the big question. How many teams in the league would be willing to continue developing Tidjane? The Clippers? The Kings? The Nets? I doubt there will be a long line of suitors for his services, which does make me think that there is a chance that he returns to Charlotte on a longer-term deal with a starting salary less than the $10M his rookie scale deal would pay him next year.

After talking myself through the scenario, let's bump up the chance he stays to 35%.

From FestiveKing (@SquibbKing): All I've been wanting from Tidjane is to reach some level of consistent competency based on desire, shooting, and defense in a Raja Bell-like fasion. Is there a path for him to play more, especially with men down?

I'm intrigued by the idea of seeing Salaün play some more small forward as the season progresses, especially with Grant Williams back in the lineup. When the Hornets' front court is at full strength, it will be hard for him to earn playing time at power forward, and the team definitely doesn't seem him as a center.

He's a good enough floor spacer to play small forward, he's mobile enough on defense, and deploying Tidjane at the three would give the Hornets a massive, fleet-footed front line that could simultaneously dissuade drivers and cause problems for shooters on the perimeter with long-armed closeouts.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Salaün has played 40 possessions at small forward this year -- I'd like to see some more of those moving forward.

From @HornetsRuinedMe: "What's different about Ryan Kalkbrenner this year and why is he popping so much more?"

This question was asked two weeks ago, but it's still topical.

The biggest change in my opinion is his aggressiveness on the offensive glass.

In his rookie season, Kalkbrenner was a 71st percentile offensive rebounder among centers with an 11.2% OREB rate. He has taken a major leap in year two, soaring into the 95th percentile with a 15.4% OREB rate.

The second-year big man is playing with increased confidence and it is evident that the strength he put on this summer is paying dividends on the floor. Opposing teams are shooting 5.7% fewer of their shots at the rim when Kalkbrenner is on the floor (91st percentile in on/off differential among centers), and arguably more importantly, opponents are attempting 2.9% fewer corner threes when he mans the paint.

With Kalkbrenner in drop coverage patrolling the rim, Charlotte's guards and wings can close out hard and play with more aggression on the perimeter to run shooters off the line.

Should he start over Diabate long-term? That's still up for debate, but Kalkbrenner's presence has clearly been a major factor in the limited success the Hornets have had this season.

From @keithgammons: Who owes Sion money?

I'm not actually sure what this question is asking, but if nothing else it has opened the door for me to defend Sion James for a second.

He unfarily became the face of Charlotte's offensive struggles because he went through a major cold spell from beyond the arc. That cold spell coincided with the rest of the team shooting poorly -- I'm still not sure why Sion became the scapegoat, but he did and it was undeserved in my opinion.

Some of the negative criticism pointed at James was fair. He was shooting poorly, he couldn't find many answers inside the arc as a scorer, and despite his reputation as a defensive stopper, some high-profile players were able to give him buckets. I get it.

However, I still believe James is a winning player who should remain in Charlotte's rotation as the team finds its sea legs over the next few weeks.

Charlotte's defense is seven points better per 100 possessions when he's on the floor. Opposing teams shoot a worse percentage, they get to the line less, and they pull down fewer offensive rebounds when James plays. By all accounts, he is a meaningful cog in Charlotte's team defense machine.

On offense - would it surprise you to hear that Sion has the best assist percentage (16.4%) on the team? While boasting one of the better turnover percentages (10.2%, the best among Hornets guards)?

He's a flawed player, and those flaws become loud when the shot isn't falling. However, as his jumper normalizes, I am confident that the perception around him will improve with it.