The Charlotte Hornets have been quiet since Jeff Peterson’s early free-agency flurry, but the roster math is still staring them in the face. Charlotte is sitting at its offseason maximum of 18 players, and while that number can hold through training camp, the club will eventually have to cut three names loose before opening night.
So who’s safest, and who’s most likely to get squeezed out?
The surest bets are the seven players who already look locked in for October: the presumed starting five of Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabate, plus rookies Christian Anderson Jr. and Hannes Steinbach, both taken by Charlotte in the top 20 of the 2026 NBA Draft.
That group, at least on paper, gives the Hornets a lot to work with. White is the key swing piece because the whole thing seems to hinge on him making a real leap as a playmaker. Peterson and Charles Lee have both repeatedly described him as an “underrated passer” since the team acquired him at the trade deadline, which tells you they believe there’s more offensive creation in him than he’s shown so far.
Around him, the fit is obvious enough: floor spacing, size, rebounding, and defensive flexibility. Even without a true wing stopper, the collection of skills should travel well in the regular season.
A second tier of players also looks pretty safe, even if nothing in the NBA is ever fully settled. Sion James, Grayson Allen, Liam McNeeley, Royce O'Neale and Grant Williams all feel likely to stick around, though Peterson could always have another move in him.
James was supposed to be more than just a Lu Dort type, but Summer League didn’t exactly help that case. He had trouble running offense as a primary ball handler. Still, he remains one of the best perimeter defenders on the roster and brings the kind of edge that fits what the Hornets want to be.
Allen might be the most interesting of the bunch. He could end up answering the backup point guard question after handling nominal point guard duties alongside Devin Booker in Phoenix.
Last season, when healthy, he showed he can create shots for others. There’s a real chance he ends up with a much bigger role in Charlotte.
McNeeley also seems positioned to build on a strong Summer League showing. There are wing minutes available, and his growing connective game deserves an early-season runway.
O'Neale and Williams belong in the same conversation: versatile frontcourt pieces who can slide into multiple roles on both ends. At this point, Charlotte should only move either one if the return is clearly worth it.
The harder part is figuring out who doesn’t make it. Charlotte needs to trim three players before the regular season, and from a pure basketball standpoint, the most logical candidates are Gueye, Finney-Smith and Connaughton. The team’s need to develop younger players lines up neatly with those three being the most vulnerable.
Connaughton, though, has one thing working in his favor: the Hornets value his voice in the locker room. That could be enough to keep him around as the glue guy.
Kalkbrenner is a little different. He would only be moved if Charlotte gets an immediate upgrade at point guard or center in return.
He landed in the “three stingers” group more on instinct than anything else, and he probably belongs closer to the four-stinger tier. Even so, there’s a market for cheap rim protection, especially with the league moving toward an era that could be shaped by Victor Wembanyama, so Kalkbrenner could carry real trade value.
A deal involving Tidjane and/or Tre Mann also feels more likely than not. Atlanta’s recent trade of Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in Salaun’s draft class, for Lu Dort created a possible template Charlotte could follow with Tidjane.
For now, the most likely outcome is that Gueye, Finney-Smith and Connaughton get waived, while Charles Lee leans on Allen, O'Neale, Williams and the younger pieces - James, Miller and Knueppel - to help set the tone in the locker room.
Even then, this roster still feels unfinished. More moves are coming, and another surprise trade can’t be ruled out.
In Other News...
Liam McNeeley Just Entered A Hornets Battle Fans Are Watching
Liam McNeeley got a much bigger runway in the 2026 Summer League, a notable shift after a rookie season in Charlotte that offered only limited NBA minutes. For a Hornets team that spent the offseason reshaping its backcourt, the timing mattered. Trading LaMelo Ball and bringing in Coby White opened up real opportunity, and McNeeleys extended look came with the sort of stakes young players can feel even in July.
What makes this worth watching from Charlottes side is how quickly a summer performance can change the conversation around a roster spot. McNeeleys showing has at least put him in the mix for backup guard minutes behind White and Kon Knueppel, and the Hornets now have to sort out whether that Summer League role was just a temporary boost or the start of something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Have A Real Backcourt Battle Behind Coby White
Charlottes guard picture looks a lot different heading into the 2026-27 season, with Coby White set to take over as the starting point guard and give the Hornets a steadier presence in the backcourt. White arrives with a new contract and a clear path to the lead role, which leaves the team sorting out how the minutes behind him will be handled as the roster settles into its next phase.
Sion James is in the mix for that backup job, but he is not alone. Rookie Christian Anderson and second-year guard Liam McNeeley are also pushing for the same spot, turning what might have looked like a simple depth chart into a legitimate competition. For Charlotte, the question is no longer just who backs up White, but who can earn trust early enough to matter when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]