The Charlotte Hornets are heading into 2026-27 with a very different look, and the first lineup card of the season could reflect just how much has changed.
LaMelo Ball is gone after being traded over the offseason, and Miles Bridges was moved as well. That leaves Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel as the young centerpieces of the roster, with Miller now positioned as the top option. He may also have to shoulder more of the playmaking load without Ball around, a change that could take his game in a new direction if it clicks.
Knueppel’s availability is already a question early on. He suffered a hamstring injury and could miss the first part of the season, though Charlotte is not overly concerned and believes the forward may only be out for a few weeks.
If Knueppel is unavailable to start the year, the Hornets’ best opening lineup looks like this: Coby White, Grayson Allen, Brandon Miller, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabate.
White, who remained with the team after arriving in a trade last season, is expected to run the offense and bring another scoring threat. Allen and Reid are both new additions, part of a summer push to add more defense to the mix. Reid was the key piece Charlotte got back in the Ball deal, and he’s the likeliest candidate to step into the starting five right away.
That blend of White, Allen, Reid and Diabate would give the Hornets more balance on both ends. Last season, Charlotte’s offense ranked among the NBA’s best, but the defense lagged behind and created plenty of problems. This new group is built to help fix that.
In Other News...
Hornets Fans Wont All Agree On This Brandon Miller Trade Idea
Any talk of moving Brandon Miller is bound to get a reaction in Charlotte, especially when the idea comes attached to a three-team swap involving the Warriors and Magic. The proposal would shake up all three rosters and alter the balance of the deal beyond just one headline name, which is why it has drawn attention even before anyone gets into the finer points of salary matching and the other pieces involved.
For Hornets fans, the uncomfortable part is how much the conversation centers on Miller as a potential trade chip rather than the kind of foundational player Charlotte would normally want to build around. The framework would also require the Hornets to part with additional players while not adding any draft compensation back into the mix, which is the sort of detail that can make a theoretical deal feel very different depending on where you stand on the franchises timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Still Face An Early Rotation Issue Despite Encouraging Injury Signs
Charles Lee had a little better news on the Hornets injury front, with Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams both making steady progress from hamstring injuries suffered during offseason activities. The two are being brought along gradually on the court, which at least gives Charlotte some optimism as camp and the preseason move along.
Still, the rotation picture remains a bit unsettled because both players will miss the preseason and wont be checked again until the first week of the regular season. For a Hornets group trying to get its pieces organized early, the challenge now is balancing patience with the need to build chemistry before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Liam McNeeley Is Making A Stronger Case For Hornets Minutes
Liam McNeeley arrived in Charlotte as the 29th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and spent his rookie year learning the pace, the physicality and the patience required at this level. He appeared in 31 games, averaged 4.3 points in 11.9 minutes and also got a taste of winning with the Greensboro Swarm, where the G League club went on to claim a Finals championship. For a young wing trying to carve out a role, that kind of first season can matter as much as any box score.
Now McNeeley is back in the mix for a Hornets team that has added Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale and is leaning on veterans such as Coby White for guidance in camp. The competition for minutes is real, but McNeeleys second-year confidence is showing up at a time when Charlotte is looking for reliable rotation answers. The next question is whether the opening he has created for himself is wide enough to stick once the roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]