The Charlotte Hornets are back on the floor, but not quite back at full strength as they open the 2026 preseason against the Brooklyn Nets.
Charlotte will be without Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams, PJ Hall, and Kylan Boswell. White is dealing with a left calf injury, Knueppel and Williams are both out with hamstring issues, Hall is sidelined by an ankle injury, and Boswell is out with a right knee injury. Brooklyn’s absences are Joshua Jefferson, who is out with a back injury, and Mikel Brown Jr., who is dealing with an ankle injury.
That means this first look at the Hornets’ revamped group comes with a few built-in delays. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Tre Mann are no longer around, while Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Dennis Schröder are in line for major minutes. Even so, the missing bodies create an opening for some of the younger players to push for real roles.
Without Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaün gets a chance to carve out rotation minutes. With Coby White unavailable, Christian Anderson Jr. has a chance to show what he can do.
And with Kon Knueppel sidelined, Liam McNeeley could see extra run. This is the time of year to find out who can handle a bigger stage.
Brooklyn comes in with a roster that looks thin and inexperienced, even if Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle give it some name value. The Nets moved Nic Claxton to Chicago in the offseason, and Day’Ron Sharpe is expected to take over at center. They also brought in Mo Wagner, who is looking to rebound after a rough, injury-filled final season in Orlando.
The backcourt picture includes sophomore shooter Egor Dëmin, who is likely to start next to former LA Clipper Terance Mann. Keon Ellis is another option at the two, though he struggled after being dealt to the Cavaliers midway through last season.
Beyond that, Brooklyn’s bench doesn’t offer much proven firepower. Noah Clowney, a stretch big who attended Dorman High in South Carolina, could be a tricky matchup for Tidjane Salaün when the reserves take over.
The Nets also have a young group of Ben Saraf, Nolan Traoré, and Danny Wolf. Of that trio, Wolf appears to be the most polished, especially because he can handle the ball as a big man in Jordi Fernández’s handoff-heavy system.
That style is part of what makes this matchup interesting. Brooklyn led the league in handoff frequency last season at 8.7 percent, well ahead of the second-place Denver Nuggets at 6.4 percent. For Charlotte’s younger defenders, this is a real test of communication and discipline.
Even with a roster that looks below average, Brooklyn still has enough shooting to make mistakes costly. If Salaün, Anderson Jr., McNeeley, Steinbach, James, and maybe even Michael Ajayi can’t stay connected through all those handoffs, Dëmin and company will be ready to punish them.
In Other News...
Hornets Already Have A Point Guard Problem After Moving LaMelo
Moving on from LaMelo Ball was always going to reshape the Hornets backcourt, and the early returns have only made the point guard picture look more unsettled. Charlotte tried to patch things up by re-signing Coby White, drafting Christian Anderson Jr. and bringing in Dennis Schrder, a group that was supposed to keep the position steady while the franchise moved into its next phase.
Instead, the preseason has already brought more questions than answers. Anderson struggled in Summer League and is dealing with an injury, while White is sidelined with a calf issue and will miss preseason games, leaving Charlotte thin at the spot before the games even count. Ball, meanwhile, opened his Minnesota preseason looking comfortable in his new uniform, which only sharpens the contrast for Hornets fans still waiting to see whether the team's next answer at point guard is actually in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Injury Creates An Early Hornets Concern
Brandon Millers preseason has already hit a small snag for the Hornets, with the second-year wing dealing with a shin contusion he picked up in practice. Charlotte has been taking the cautious route, keeping him day-to-day as the team works through the opening weeks of exhibition play and prepares for its next preseason test against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Millers absence from the recent game against the Brooklyn Nets added a little more early-season concern, especially for a player whose development remains central to Charlottes plans. There is already outside buzz about a possible long-term extension down the road, but for now the Hornets are focused on getting Miller back on the floor and making sure a preseason bump does not linger. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Already Feels Like A Huge Part Of Charlottes Reset
Before Charlottes first preseason game against Brooklyn, Charles Lee was already talking about Naz Reid like a player who can help steady the Hornets new direction. The big man arrived from Minnesota as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, and his first taste of a Charlotte uniform offered a quick glimpse of why the team wanted him in the mix as it starts over with a reshaped roster.
Reid wasted little time showing he can bring scoring and activity in short bursts, and that matters for a Hornets group still sorting out how its pieces fit together around young talent such as Miller and Knueppel. With the season just getting underway, Charlotte is trying to establish roles and identity, and Reids early return has at least given the coaching staff one more reason to believe the reset can take hold sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]