The Charlotte Hornets could be looking at a very different kind of trade deadline next season.
After moving some players this offseason with the understanding that the team would likely be worse in 2026-27, Charlotte is clearly aiming at something larger and more durable down the road. That approach is going to come with some short-term pain, and if the Hornets are again sitting around a Play-In ceiling, the smarter move may be to keep collecting assets rather than trying to patch things together.
That makes the next deadline a prime spot for roster turnover. And if Charlotte does decide to sell, Grant Williams looks like the clearest name to watch. He’s on an expiring deal, he’s in a frontcourt that’s suddenly crowded, and with Brandon Miller’s extension coming, he may end up being too pricey for the Hornets to bring back.
The center spot could also become a pressure point. It’s possible that either Ryan Kalkbrenner or Moussa Diabaté gets dealt, though not both.
Diabaté is the better player right now, but his contract expires after this season. Kalkbrenner brings more size and more team control, so Charlotte could decide either path makes sense depending on how the season unfolds.
Grayson Allen is another player who could draw interest if he shoots the ball well. He didn’t have a strong shooting season last year, but if he rebuilds his value in Charlotte before he decides whether to opt in or out of his player option, the Hornets could turn that into a decent return.
At point guard, Dennis Schroder is not part of the long-term picture, even if Charlotte needs a backup behind Coby White. If the Hornets are in sell mode, there’s little reason to worry about a temporary gap there. At that stage, it might make more sense to give Christian Anderson Jr. more minutes and let him develop.
Liam McNeeley is the least likely of the group to be moved. Still, if he again struggles to secure a real spot in the rotation, Charlotte could decide that selling now is better than waiting on something that never fully materializes. He’s almost certainly safe, but not completely untouchable.
In Other News...
Hornets Face A Frustrating Reality About This Roster
Charlotte spent last season on the playoff fringe before finishing 44-38 and again watching the postseason from home, and the offseason has brought a mix of continuity and change. The Hornets re-signed Coby White, added Dorian Finney-Smith, and used the draft to bring in Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson, while an expected starting group would feature White alongside Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabate.
Still, the broader read on the roster is less encouraging than the individual moves might suggest. With Jeff Peterson publicly expressing confidence in Miller and Knueppel after the trade of LaMelo Ball, the question now is whether Charlotte has enough high-end talent in place to do more than hover around the middle of the pack, or whether it will need to lean on future picks and swaps to chase another star before the ceiling starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Brutal Question Without LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Balls absence leaves Charlotte with the kind of roster question every rebuilding team eventually has to answer: who gets the ball, who creates, and who can actually handle the extra weight over the course of a season? The conversation naturally starts with Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, both of whom are expected to see bigger opportunities, while Coby White also factors into the picture as someone who could be asked to absorb more responsibility in the backcourt.
What makes the issue tricky is that each of those players is still working through something different, whether it is sharpening a skill set, expanding a role, or simply proving the workload is sustainable. Even the rookies, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., are part of the broader evaluation, though their promise comes with obvious limitations right now, which leaves Charlotte staring at a season defined less by certainty than by how quickly a new hierarchy can take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Are Sending A Clear Message About Their Next Step
After finishing 44-39 and putting together one of their better seasons in years, Charlotte is entering the next phase with a different kind of urgency. The front office has already sent a clear signal through recent trades that the Hornets are not trying to simply chase last years progress, but to shape the roster around younger pieces such as Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
That approach may come with a step back in the standings, and NBA insider Tim McMahon expects exactly that in the coming season. For a fan base that had reason to believe the club was inching closer to respectability, the direction now looks more patient than aggressive, with the focus shifting toward a longer rebuild rather than an immediate push in the Eastern Conference. [Read more 🡒]