The Charlotte Hornets’ 2026-27 schedule is out, and the early read starts with a road trip to the Brooklyn Nets before the team comes home for back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat.
From there, the question is how this roster handles a season that could swing in a big way. A few of the staff at Charlotte Hornets On SI looked at the 82-game slate and came away with a cautious outlook, even with real upside still on the table.
One view is that the Hornets are likely to take a small step back because the Eastern Conference should be tougher and because the roster has been reworked. That means the group may need time to find its footing, especially early, when chemistry matters most.
There’s also the reality that this will be the first long stretch without an elite facilitator for either Brandon Miller or Kon Knueppel, and that adjustment won’t happen overnight. Coby White is expected to provide stability at point guard, but the dynamic will be different.
The expectation there is a slow start followed by enough of a push to land back in the Play-In Tournament, with the schedule itself lining up in a way that could support that path.
Another read is that the Hornets still have enough talent to survive the rough patches, but not enough to duplicate last season’s 33-15 stretch. That outlook leans on the idea that the offense will have to take on a different shape, and that there are simply too many unknowns right now to forecast another big leap.
The widest range of outcomes might belong to this team more than almost any other. One projection sees the Hornets anywhere from “league's biggest surprise” to “league's biggest disappointment.”
Much of that hinges on Brandon Miller and how large a jump he makes this season. The roster should be able to shoot it well, but the half-court offense remains the big question.
Coby White could help solve that, or the team could run into problems with our LaMelo.
Still, one 44-win projection is built around the idea that the Hornets’ added playoff experience will pay off over the course of the regular season. If Miller struggles, that outlook changes quickly. But if the Hornets believe in him, the optimism follows right along with it.
In Other News...
Charles Lee Sends Clear Message On Hornets' Risky Reset
Charles Lee has spent the early part of Charlottes offseason making it clear the Hornets are not interested in a half-step reset. The head coach has watched the front office reshape the roster through trades and the draft, adding prospects like Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. while moving on from LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. What remains is a younger nucleus built around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, with the organization signaling that development and a cleaner long-term direction are the priority.
Lees message fits a summer that has already brought a lot of change and should bring more scrutiny, because Charlotte still needs stability to match the ambition behind the rebuild. The Hornets also added veteran guard Dennis Schroder to give the backcourt a steadier presence behind the lead options, a move that adds experience without altering the bigger picture. How all of those pieces fit together will be one of the more important questions around the team once the roster starts taking shape on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Rotation Battle Is Just Getting Started After Latest Trade
The Hornets backcourt picture changed quickly when Jeff Peterson dealt Tre Mann to Cleveland and brought in Dennis Schrder, a move designed to stabilize the backup point guard spot. It was the kind of roster adjustment Charlotte needed, but it also pushed the rest of the guard rotation into sharper focus, with roles now under review as training camp approaches and the team continues sorting out its depth chart.
Even after landing Schrder, the roster still does not look finished, and that leaves the final days before the season feeling like a sorting exercise as much as a basketball decision. Some players may be candidates to move on, while others could simply see their minutes trimmed, and the Hornets have more clarity to gain before the back end of the rotation is set. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Veteran Logjam Could Force A Tough Offseason Cut
Charlottes offseason shuffle has left the Hornets with a crowded back end of the roster after the trades that brought in Naz Reid and draft capital from Minnesota and added Dennis Schrder from Cleveland in the deal for Tre Mann. The front office has clearly been busy reshaping the group around a new direction, but the transaction pace has also created a numbers problem that still needs to be cleaned up before the roster can settle.
With the Hornets carrying 17 players under contract, another move is coming, and the choice of who goes will be one of the more delicate parts of the summer. Pat Connaughton has emerged as the likeliest name to be squeezed out as Charlotte works to get its roster in order, a reminder that even after the headline-grabbing moves, the final touches of an offseason can be just as revealing. [Read more 🡒]