The Charlotte Hornets may have one of the deeper rosters in the Eastern Conference heading into 2026-27, and that kind of depth always comes with a tradeoff: somebody is losing minutes.
For head coach Charles Lee and his staff, the challenge is less about finding playable talent and more about fitting all of it into one rotation. That means a few Hornets who mattered last season are now staring at smaller roles.
Grayson Allen looks like the clearest case. Last season with the Phoenix Suns, the 30-year-old guard logged 28.8 minutes per game, which ranked third on the team, and he started 27 of the 51 games he played.
In Charlotte, that kind of workload is unlikely to hold. Allen could see some early spot-start duty next to Coby White if Brandon Miller is still recovering from his offseason left shoulder procedure, but over the long haul he profiles more naturally as a backup shooting guard.
That role still has value. Allen remains an elite floor spacer and shooter, and he can offer secondary playmaking too.
The difference is that he looks better suited for 18 to 20 minutes a night than for the high 20s. That shift would also help Charlotte avoid leaning too hard on a player whose perimeter defense has limitations.
Another player whose role could shrink is Charlotte center Chimezie Metu? No - the source names Moussa Diabaté? Wait.
George? Actually the source points to Kalkbrenner.
The former second-round pick was a major piece for Charlotte last season, even opening the year as the Hornets’ starting center for the first month and a half. He played 21.4 minutes per game and made 31 starts, but that number is likely headed down with a healthier roster around him.
Kalkbrenner has already shown he can handle NBA drop coverage, screen effectively and finish around the basket. The issue is that Charlotte has added more frontcourt options.
Hannes Steinbach, taken No. 14 overall in June, is expected to see time at both power forward and center, even though his exact position is still unsettled. However the Hornets use him, some of those minutes are going to come out of Kalkbrenner’s share.
Naz Reid and Grant Williams also give Charlotte small-ball five options, which further squeezes the center rotation. That does not make Kalkbrenner less important, though.
It just means his nights may depend more on the matchup. Against bigger centers and frontcourts, especially with Moussa Diabaté and Steinbach both undersized for a typical five, Charlotte is going to need Kalkbrenner’s size.
Josh Green? No, the source centers on James.
Tre Mann? Not in source. So write about James.
The same basic dynamic applies to James, even if Charlotte still plans to use him heavily. He ranked sixth on the Hornets in total regular-season minutes last year with 1,843, and he also finished sixth in minutes per game at 22.5. That usage was already meaningful, but his defensive value may be even more important now because he is Charlotte’s lone true perimeter stopper.
Still, there are more players in the mix around him than there were a year ago. Allen will have a major second-unit role.
Liam McNeeley, a former first-round pick, needs to be evaluated after an impressive Summer League. Royce O'Neale brings established NBA rotation experience and playoff credentials.
Christian Anderson could even get some run at the two, playing off the ball next to Dennis Schröder or White, which could be a helpful early-career setup for him.
James also won’t be getting the backup ball-handling minutes he saw at times as a rookie, because Schröder now anchors Charlotte’s second unit. That leaves Lee with more options at the position, and more options usually mean fewer minutes for someone.
So while James is still going to matter a lot to the Hornets, a repeat of last season’s 22.5 minutes per game feels unlikely. High teens is the more reasonable range most nights, with extra run possible when Charlotte faces elite scoring guards or wings that James is asked to chase.
Even in a smaller role, his impact should remain clear. James is one of the best defenders on the roster, and Charlotte’s depth may cut into his minutes without cutting into his importance.
In Other News...
Hornets Face An Awkward Sabonis Question Before Any Deal Happens
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Hornets Are About To Find Out If This New Core Is Enough
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Jeff Peterson has already signaled confidence in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to absorb more responsibility, and the reconfigured roster will now have to show whether that belief was justified. With the point guard spot settled and a fresh hierarchy in place, Charlottes next step is less about theory than proof, and the first few nights should tell the Hornets plenty about how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Center Decision That Could Define Their Next Step
Charlotte has already spent much of the offseason reshaping the roster, and the next question hanging over the front office is whether the center spot gets addressed with another swing. The Hornets are still searching for a way to add size and stability in the middle, which has pushed several possible trade ideas into the conversation as the team looks for a move that fits both the timeline and the talent level it wants around its core.
Among the names being floated are Myles Turner of the Milwaukee Bucks, Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks and Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls, each bringing a different type of solution. The appeal is obvious for Charlotte, but the price and the exact path forward remain the real issue, especially with multiple routes on the table and no clear indication yet which one the Hornets would be willing to pursue most aggressively. [Read more 🡒]