The Charlotte Hornets’ offseason makeover has come with a dose of bad timing.
After a busy summer that included moving LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and others, Charlotte kept working the phones and added another piece this week by landing Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard while sending Dorian Finney-Smith to the Atlanta Hawks. But just as the roster churn was supposed to build momentum, the Hornets were hit Friday with an injury setback that will keep Grant Williams and Kon Knueppel out of the season opener.
“The Atlanta Hawks are trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith, the team announced on Tuesday. The Hornets are expected to waive Nembhard as part of the trade, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania," ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk wrote.
Then came the injury news, with both players dealing with hamstring issues after offseason work.
“The Hornets say Kon Knueppel suffered a left hamstring injury and Grant Williams suffered a right hamstring injury during offseason on-court activity and will miss the preseason. Both will be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote.
That leaves Charlotte waiting on two important pieces as the season gets underway. Knueppel is set for a bigger workload in his second year, especially now that Ball is gone, while Williams brings the edge and physical presence the Hornets rely on off the bench.
“Our goal is to make the playoffs, and we fell short of that. Gotta come back with a different fire and just use it as fuel... that's gonna be our goal again.
We want to get there. We want to play significant games at end of the season,” Knueppel said.
For a team that has spent the summer reshaping itself, the next step now has to wait.
In Other News...
Hornets Trade Could Trigger Another Roster Move Fans Will Notice
The Hornets move to bring in Dorian Finney-Smith came with a familiar kind of roster housekeeping attached, as Charlotte sent Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash considerations to the Hawks. It is the sort of trade that can reshape a rotation in one shot while also forcing the front office to sort through the extra pieces that come back in the deal, especially for a team still trying to tighten its roster around the rest of the season.
Ryan Nembhard is the name to watch next, because there is a real chance he does not stay on the roster for long. If he is let go, he could still draw attention elsewhere, with teams such as the Nuggets mentioned as possible suitors, which would make this a trade with a second ripple effect after the headline swap is already complete. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Face An Opening Night Problem With Two Rotation Pieces
The Hornets were already planning to use the preseason to sort through their depth, but two rotation spots now need extra attention after offseason on-court work left Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams sidelined. Both injuries are hamstring-related, and the timing matters because the team was counting on these minutes to get a better read on how the second unit fits together before games start to count.
Charlotte does have enough roster depth to absorb the losses for now, which should give the staff a chance to look at backup options and keep experimenting in exhibition play. Still, the absence of two players who were expected to factor into the rotation leaves an early-season wrinkle, with both set to be evaluated again in the first week of the regular season and unavailable when opening night arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Bigger Roster Question As Knicks Circle Moussa Diabate
The Hornets are once again in the middle of a roster conversation that reaches beyond their own rotation, with New York weighing Moussa Diabate as a possible backup center. For Charlotte, that kind of interest matters because Diabate has become the sort of developmental big teams like to circle when they need size, energy and a potential fit who can grow into a clearer role.
New York's pursuit has already taken a couple of turns, and the Knicks are now looking at a different way to get something done. For the Hornets, the question is whether a deal built around guard Miles McBride and a future first-round pick swap is the kind of return that makes sense for a young center with room to rise, or whether keeping Diabate in Charlotte is the better play as the roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]