The Charlotte Hornets have finalized a contract buyout with former No. 2 overall draft pick, forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
The move comes less than a day after Charlotte bought out veteran forward Marvin Williams and his remaining $15 million expiring contract.
Kidd-Gilchrist, 26, was drafted out of Kentucky in 2012, by the-then Charlotte Bobcats, second-overall following a 7-59 season where Charlotte fell one spot in the lottery, missing out on future superstar Anthony Davis.
Early in his career, Kidd-Gilchrist became one of the league's most consistent perimeter defenders, but a poor shooting form and a pile of injuries ultimately hindered the potential that could have been.
Kidd-Gilchrist became an immediate starter for Charlotte and showed flashes of offensive capabilities, scoring 25 points in just his fifth career game, and became just the fourth player ever to score at least 25 points and grab 12 rebounds in two games before the age of 20.
Named to the NBA All-Rookie second team, injuries began to hinder Kidd-Gilchrist.
He missed 19 games in his sophomore season and 26 in 2013-14, despite averaging a career-high 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
The career-year led Charlotte to sign Kidd-Gilchrist to a four-year $52 million extension but he played in just seven games in 2015-16 due to a torn labrum.
Kidd-Gilchrist played and started a career-high 81 games in the 2016-17 and 74 in the 2017-18 season, but his offensive skill set continued to stay stagnant, averaging a total of 9.2 points per game.
Kidd-Gilchrist was pulled out of the Hornets' starting lineup in the 2018-19 season and he averaged a career-low 6.7 points per game.
This season, Kidd-Gilchrist has played just 12 games, averaging four points per game.
In what should be the prime of his career, Kidd-Gilchrist and his expiring contract will now have a chance to clear waivers and sign with a team that could help him rejuvenate his game.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Dallas Mavericks are a potential destination for Kidd-Gilchrist.
Kidd-Gilchrist finishes his time in Charlotte with averages of 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 433 games.