The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the busiest teams in the league this offseason, but volume alone doesn’t make a good summer. Every move has to stand on its own, because busy can just as easily mean scattered as it can mean aggressive.
That’s why the Hornets’ offseason has to be judged piece by piece before it can be judged as a whole. Some of the moves have real upside.
One of them is a major swing that could sting right away. Put it all together, and the picture gets complicated fast.
The biggest risk is the one that has already changed the tone of the summer. I’ve softened on it since my first reaction, when I had it at an F, and that was probably too harsh.
It still looks like a move that will almost certainly hurt the Hornets in the immediate interim, but there’s at least a chance it ages into something better. That chance is just very small.
On the other side of the ledger, there’s a move I liked at first and now like even more. Losing Miles Bridges is addition by subtraction.
The Hornets also got two good shooters back, and the pick swap matters too: moving from a heavily protected 2029 pick to an unprotected 2033 pick is a win. It might end up being the best move of the offseason.
Re-signing Coby White became absolutely imperative after trading LaMelo Ball, and Charlotte did well not to let that necessity drive the price too high. The deal itself is solid. The only real gripe is the length, since it’s just a three-year contract and a team option or a fourth year would have made more sense for a young point guard the team needs to keep around long term.
The rookie class has offered some encouraging signs as well. Hannes Steinbach could be a diamond in the rough, and his rebounding is truly elite.
If he can score even close to the way he did in Summer League, he has a chance to stand out in a deep draft class. The only thing that makes you wonder is whether it would have been smarter to package a second-round pick or two and move up for Aday Mara.
Christian Anderson Jr. has had a tougher start. His shot wasn’t falling in Summer League, though his playmaking was good and the adjustment curve for point guards is always steep. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a strong pick at 18th overall, but the shotmaking has given at least a little reason for concern.
Then there’s Dorian Finney-Smith, who may not even make the roster. If he does, he’s likely to be an expensive player at the back end of the rotation. The three second-round picks Charlotte got back are fine if you’re giving up literally nothing, but second-rounders just don’t carry the same weight they used to in today’s NBA.
So yes, there have been plenty of good moves here. But one huge risk, one that lit up the fan base and makes the Hornets worse for 2026-27, hangs over the rest of the offseason and drags the overall grade down.
In Other News...
Hornets May Finally Have A Real Answer To Their Backup PG Problem
The Hornets still have a backup point guard spot to settle, and with 18 players already on the roster, the search has become one of the cleaner roster questions left on the table. Charlotte has been linked to D'Angelo Russell as a possible offseason answer, and the fit is obvious on paper: a veteran ballhandler who could come in at a manageable price and stabilize the second unit without forcing the team into a major commitment.
What makes this especially interesting for Charlotte is the cap flexibility it already has available, which could give the front office a straightforward path if it wants to act. Russell would not have to be a long-term solution for the Hornets to see the appeal, either, since the bigger issue is simply finding someone dependable enough to handle the backup role while the team keeps its options open for the future. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Are Split On What This LaMelo Era Reset Really Means
Charlottes offseason reset has been impossible to miss, and it starts with the kind of roster shakeup that can change the direction of a franchise in a hurry. The Hornets moved on from LaMelo Ball, Josh Green and Miles Bridges, then turned to the draft to add Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., signaling a clear pivot toward a younger core built around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
The plan is easy to understand on paper: add depth, add shooting and let the next wave grow together. The harder part is what comes next, because Balls playmaking had been central to Charlottes identity, and replacing that kind of offensive engine is never simple. For fans, the debate is already there, split between seeing a necessary reset and wondering whether the Hornets gave up too much of what made them dangerous in the first place. [Read more 🡒]