The Charlotte Hornets have already made enough changes this summer to look like a team heading into a new phase, but the big-man spot still hangs over everything. With Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Naz Reid in place, Charlotte has the outline of something interesting. What it may still need is a true center to make the whole thing fit.
That is why Domantas Sabonis has become the name to watch. If the Hornets can land the Kings star, they would give themselves a dependable starting center to pair with Reid. But if that pursuit falls apart, Charlotte has other paths to explore.
One of the cleaner options on paper is Myles Turner. Milwaukee brought him in last season to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy, but the results were not enough to do the job, and the Bucks are now trying to move his $26.5 million salary without finding much traction.
For Charlotte, Turner offers a different kind of value. His floor spacing would overlap with Reid’s game, sure, but his rim protection and rebounding could give the Hornets a real edge on the defensive end.
Turner’s 2025-26 numbers were modest: 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, with shooting splits of 44.0% from the field and 38.3% from three. The bigger selling point was what he did on the other end, where he averaged 0.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
Charlotte could absorb that contract, too, thanks to a $40.7 million trade exception. But by using Grant Williams and Tidjane Salaun to balance salaries, the Hornets could preserve that exception for another move later.
Daniel Gafford is another name that fits the kind of frontcourt help Charlotte needs. Dallas would receive Grayson Allen and a 2027 first-round pick, with that pick top-2 protected, in the proposed deal. In theory, Gafford would give Reid a sturdy partner inside and allow Reid more room to work on offense while also adding another strong rim protector to the mix.
Even with injuries limiting his availability in 2025-26, Gafford still posted 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. That kind of production still carries weight, especially for a team looking to firm up its interior defense.
Gafford had been tied to the Lakers this offseason, but nothing came together there. Dallas has also shown a desire to keep him, though Charlotte’s offer could change that if the Mavericks decide their big-man depth gives them room to move him.
If those bigger swings prove unrealistic, Jalen Smith may be the more practical route. Chicago has reshaped its own roster this summer and added Nic Claxton, which could open the door for the Hornets to make a run at Smith. Last season, Smith backed up Nikola Vucevic for the Bulls, but his play suggested he may be ready for a larger role somewhere else.
Smith averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.3% from three. That combination of scoring and stretch ability would make him a sensible frontcourt partner for Reid.
The challenge is that Smith is on an expiring $9.4 million contract, so Chicago may prefer to keep him. Still, Grant Williams’ $14.2 million expiring deal and a 2027 second-round pick from Memphis could make the package more appealing.
If Sabonis doesn’t end up in Charlotte, the Hornets still have a few ways to solve the center problem. Turner brings defense, Gafford brings interior force, and Smith brings versatility. Any of them would move the roster a step closer to something real.
In Other News...
Hornets Face An Awkward Sabonis Question Before Any Deal Happens
With training camp drawing closer, the Hornets are still being mentioned in the Domantas Sabonis chatter that continues to swirl around Sacramento. The idea has enough logic to linger: Charlotte could use another high-level playmaker, and Sabonis would instantly change the way the offense is organized if the two sides ever decided to push a deal across the finish line.
But the fit is not a simple one, and that is where the conversation gets awkward for Charlotte. Any serious trade talk has to wrestle with how Sabonis would be used once he arrived, along with what the Hornets would be giving up to get him, and there is also the question of whether a follow-up extension would even be part of the picture. For now, it is still speculation and scenario work rather than anything close to a completed move. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Are About To Find Out If This New Core Is Enough
Charlottes new look is about to get its first real test, and the early schedule will not offer much time to settle in. The Hornets are expected to open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets before coming home to face the Atlanta Hawks, a quick reminder that the transition to a different core will happen under the leagues usual pressure, not in a soft landing spot.
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 Just Made A Greensboro Move Fans Should Actually Care About
The Hornets G League pipeline got a familiar new voice this week, with the Greensboro Swarm naming Zach Peterson as their next head coach after the franchise celebrated its first G League title. Peterson arrives with a deep Charlotte connection, having served as the Hornets director of player development and as an assistant coach, and his hire keeps the Swarm tethered closely to the NBA clubs approach.
Greensboro is now turning the page under its fifth head coach, looking to sustain the winning culture that helped deliver that breakthrough season. Petersons background gives the Swarm a coach who knows the system inside and out and has spent years around NBA-level development, which matters when the G Leagues job is as much about producing players as piling up wins. The only real question now is how smoothly that continuity carries over with a new sideline leader in place. [Read more 🡒]