The Charlotte Hornets suddenly have a problem they haven’t had in a while: too many NBA-caliber bodies and not enough obvious slots to put them all.
That’s the basic tension behind any early-season rotation projection for Charles Lee. Charlotte’s roster has enough legitimate talent to make the minute distribution interesting, but it also creates some hard cuts. For this exercise, the lineup is built around a 10-man rotation, which leaves rookie Hannes Steinbach, veteran Royce O’Neale, and second-year wing Liam McNeeley outside the opening-night mix.
That doesn’t mean they’re gone from the picture. Injuries, uneven play, and development will all open doors over the course of the season.
But on day one, they’re the odd men out. Steinbach looks like the most realistic candidate to force his way in early, though he has a crowded frontcourt to climb over with Naz Reid, Moussa Diabate, Grant Williams, and Ryan Kalkbrenner already penciled into the mix.
The projected starters carry fairly normal workloads by Charlotte standards. Coby White is set at 30 minutes, while Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Naz Reid are each projected for 31.
Diabate is the other notable bump, climbing to 29 minutes per game after averaging 26 a night last season. That increase reflects how he finished the 2025-26 season: as a center who could handle real volume without looking overwhelmed.
White’s projection also comes with a small adjustment from last year’s setup. He’s listed at 30 minutes, a step up from the 28 LaMelo Ball averaged, since Charlotte shouldn’t need to manage his workload the way it had to with Ball because of injury concerns.
The bench is where things get messy. Dennis Schroder is projected for 20 minutes, with Sion James at 15, Grayson Allen at 17, Grant Williams at 17, and Kalkbrenner at 19.
The biggest issue there is spacing. Schroder, James, and Kalkbrenner are all negative floor spacers, and that could make bench-heavy groups feel cramped on offense.
That’s where McNeeley and O’Neale could sneak back into the picture. If James’ defensive value and connective play don’t make up for his scoring limitations, Allen could move into a backup shooting guard role, or even backup point guard if Schroder struggles in the same way. That kind of shift would open the door for McNeeley and O’Neale to log early minutes on the wing.
The bigger takeaway is that Lee has plenty to sort through. There are a lot of lineup combinations available here, and the minute map could change quickly once the season starts. This projection doesn’t even account for small-ball five looks, Grayson Allen at point guard, or any roster changes that might happen before October.
In Other News...
Hornets Face Another Tough Roster Call With Future Assets At Stake
Charlotte has already been busy trimming the edges of its roster, moving on from two of its three main expiring contracts as it continues to lean into asset collection and long-term flexibility. Josh Green and Miles Bridges are gone, and that leaves Grant Williams as the most obvious veteran contract still sitting in the mix, which makes him a natural name to circle as the Hornets keep shaping the roster around younger players and future development.
Williams season last year gives the front office a real decision to make, because he still has enough value to matter in a deal even as Charlotte works through salary-cap and construction questions. The Hornets have already shown they are willing to make tough calls with their expiring deals, and this one is tied to the same bigger question they have been asking all along: whether it is better to keep a useful veteran in place or turn him into another piece for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Could Be Charlottes Most Important Roster Bet
Naz Reids arrival gives Charlotte a very different kind of roster discussion, one centered less on star power and more on fit, durability and how the pieces can line up around a young core. The Hornets have added draft capital and a player who has already shown he can matter in a winning structure, which gives the front office some flexibility as it tries to build around its rookies and interior options.
Reid has spent much of his career coming off the bench, but his value has always gone beyond that label because of how much he can do at the five and how adaptable his game has become. For Charlotte, the real question is how that translates when he is asked to carry a much larger load in the frontcourt and whether he can anchor the position the way the team needs over the next season and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Rebuild Around Brandon Miller Raises One Huge Question
The Hornets have spent the offseason making it clear the franchise is moving in a new direction, one centered on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel as the organization looks ahead to the 2026-27 season. It is a reset built on youth and patience, with the front office still expected to keep turning over the roster as it tries to construct a group that fits the long-term plan.
Miller has already helped set the tone for what comes next, keeping expectations grounded while the rebuild takes shape. Charlotte is not trying to pretend this is an overnight fix, and the bigger question now is how quickly the team can turn that new core into a group that is competitive night after night rather than simply one still learning how to win together. [Read more 🡒]