Charles Lee isn’t pretending the Charlotte Hornets’ offseason was business as usual. It was busy, it was bold, and it left the roster looking different after multiple trades and the addition of Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. in the first round of the draft.
The biggest shifts came with the departures of All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and starting forward Miles Bridges, but Lee made clear he believes Charlotte came out of the summer in a stronger spot.
"I'm with Coby (White). We'll shock some people.
We'll be better than people realize," Hornets head coach Charles Lee said. "We were busy this offseason.
I think the Hornets got better, and obviously change is gonna be tough for some people, but overall the mindset is how do we just keep moving this thing in the right direction? The Carolinas deserve a really good basketball product, and we wanna have something that's sustainable.
I think that we can year after year be competing in the playoffs for a championship, and so that's the road that we're going down."
That optimism starts with the young core already in place. Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel and forward Brandon Miller give Charlotte a pair of high-end building blocks to lean on moving forward.
Miller, in particular, put together a strong season, averaging 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
With Knueppel and Miller leading the way, the Hornets have enough young talent to stay in the mix for a Play-In spot for a second straight season, even after moving on from Ball.
Charlotte also added some experience on Friday, bringing in 32-year-old guard Dennis Schroder in a trade. He could step in as a steady backup point guard behind Coby White.
Schroder played in 70 games last season and averaged 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
In Other News...
Hornets Just Made Another Backcourt Move Fans Need To See
Charlotte has continued to reshape its backcourt in a busy offseason, and the latest move adds another experienced piece to the mix. After already making changes to its point guard depth, the Hornets have now moved on from Tre Mann and brought in veteran guard Dennis Schroder, a roster adjustment that gives the team a different kind of presence behind the starters.
Schroder arrives with two years left on his contract and is expected to fill a backup guard role, giving Charlotte a steadier hand as it keeps sorting out the rotation around its new look. For a team still sorting through its guard picture, this is the kind of transaction that suggests the front office is less interested in standing pat than in finding a better fit for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Made A Backcourt Move With Big Bench Implications
Charlotte is adding another layer to its backcourt after agreeing to a trade with Cleveland that reshapes the guard rotation and gives the front office a little more room to work. The deal sends cash and a veteran point guard to the Hornets while giving the Cavaliers the salary cap flexibility they were seeking, a move that could matter well beyond the immediate roster swap.
For Charlotte, the intrigue is in how a well-traveled guard fits alongside the players already in place and what it means for the second unit. The player arriving has been traded nine times in his NBA career and is set to join his 12th NBA team, which speaks to both his value as a movable piece and the constant search around the league for steady help at point guard. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Will Have Plenty To Say About These 2K Ratings
Ahead of NBA 2K27s release, the Hornets player ratings are out, and there is already plenty in there for fans to debate. The reveal gives a fresh look at where Charlottes roster stands in the game, while also putting a spotlight on the teams 3-point shooting profile, which should stand out in a hurry for anyone loading up a Hornets lineup.
Still, the list does not tell the full story. Some names are missing altogether, including rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., which leaves part of Charlottes picture unresolved heading into the games launch. For a fan base that tends to notice every little thing in these ratings releases, there will be no shortage of opinions about who got treated fairly and who did not. [Read more 🡒]