The Charlotte Hornets spent the summer remaking themselves, and one NBA analyst boiled the whole thing down to a single word: “fascinating.”
That was Zach Buckley’s choice in Bleacher Report’s “1 Word to Describe Every Team’s 2026 NBA Offseason,” and it fits a Hornets team that did just about everything in one stretch. Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, dealt Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, drafted Hannes Steinbach from Washington with the 14th overall pick and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson Jr. with the 18th overall pick, re-signed Coby White and added Dorian-Finney Smith from the Houston Rockets.
Buckley saw a front office that didn’t just tinker around the edges. Charlotte had a second-half surge last season, but instead of treating that run as proof the old core was ready to keep rolling, the Hornets chose a harder reset.
“The Hornets could have viewed their second-half surge as the sign of greater things to come,” Buckley wrote. “They obviously didn't. They split from a couple of franchise staples in Ball and Bridges, fully committing to retooling this roster around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
“Maybe the prices paid for Ball and Bridges left them with no choices; they nabbed an unprotected future first for both, plus three first-round swaps and the sturdy Reid for Ball with Allen and Royce O'Neale arriving in the Bridges trade. There's probably some short-term pain incoming, but they're taking a long-term look at things, which isn't how a lot of front offices would've responded to such a run.”
The new picture in Charlotte points to a projected starting five of White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté next season. On paper, that group looks like a real foundation.
The Hornets finished last season one game short of the playoffs. They haven’t been back since 2016, but the roster now has a different look, with White, Miller, Knueppel, Reid and Diabaté set to lead the way.
Ball’s exit marks the end of the Hornets’ Ball era, and the team never reached the postseason during that stretch. In 303 games with Charlotte, Ball averaged 20.8 points and 7.3 assists per game and made one All-Star team in 2022. The Hornets were 139-164 when he played.
Charlotte president of basketball operations and general manager Jeff Peterson said he was comfortable moving Ball because of the players still in place, especially Miller and Knueppel.
“I’m very comfortable,” Peterson said. “[Hornets head coach] Charles [Lee] and I had a conversation with both of them knowing that these trades can be challenging.
Sometimes I do think we forget that we’re human beings dealing with this stuff - lives and its emotions. Those guys are friends and they are in the locker room every day.
At the same time, Charles and I kind of explained, We believe in you guys, too. You guys are here.
We want to continue to see you guys grow. This is going to challenge you guys.
You guys got to continue to get better.' We wouldn’t have made that trade if we didn’t feel comfortable with what they can continue to be developing into.”
In Other News...
Hornets Season May Come Down To These 3 Bigger Roles
Charlottes next step may not hinge only on the usual names at the top of the roster, but on how much three players can expand into larger roles when the season turns. Reid looks positioned to move into the starting lineup, which should give him a chance to push his scoring and rebounding upward, while Coby White is lined up for a bigger share of the offense and playmaking as the Hornets try to squeeze more production out of the backcourt.
Brandon Miller is the one who could shape the whole direction of the group, especially with key teammates no longer in the picture and a clearer path to becoming one of the teams leading options. For Charlotte, the appeal is obvious: if those role changes translate, the Hornets could have a much more balanced attack than the one theyve leaned on before. If they do not, the coming season could feel a lot more familiar than the front office would like. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Still Have A Tough Roster Squeeze Coming
The Hornets own offseason picture is getting tighter by the day, even with training camp still on the horizon. Charlotte has more players than it can carry into the regular season, so the front office still has to trim the roster before opening night, and that reality makes every remaining move feel a little more delicate than usual.
Several names are at least in the conversation as the Hornets sort through the squeeze, with Tre Mann, Dorian Finney-Smith and Pat Connaughton all worth watching as the calendar moves forward. Derrick Williams has already taken a different route, signing with the Seoul Samsung Thunders in South Korea, which only adds to the sense that Charlottes roster picture is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]