LeBron James is back on the open market, and that alone would be enough to shake the NBA. But somehow, the Charlotte Hornets have found their way into the conversation - and the reason is as strange as it is specific: Bojangles.
James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he will not return, which makes him an unrestricted free agent for the first time since the summer of 2018. That means the future Hall of Famer is headed for a new uniform next season, even if the league’s most common guesses still point elsewhere.
Around NBA circles, the expectation is that LeBron ends up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat or Golden State Warriors. Still, the Hornets have been floated as a wild-card possibility because of James’ well-known affection for the Charlotte-based chicken chain.
ESPN personality Ryan McGee talked about that connection during a 2024 appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “Did you know LeBron James loves Charlotte?”
McGee asked McAfee during that appearance, via WBTV. “And the reason he loves Charlotte is because Bojangles.
I'm not making this up. Bojangles chicken.
When LeBron James was a rookie, the deal was he would leave games at the old Hive ... the takeaway food you get on the plane after a game for the visiting team was a little two-piece box of fried chicken from Bojangles.
"So LeBron James became so obsessed with Bojangles, he would on the plane as a rookie hand out cash. He would take it all home. And finally, he would send the clubhouse attendant to go buy like one of these tailgate packs to take back to Cleveland with him."
The idea of LeBron in Charlotte is still a long shot, but the Hornets do have some momentum. They finished 44-38 last season and have a group that includes Brandon Miller, Naz Reid, Coby White and Kon Knueppel. If James were somehow added to that mix, Charlotte head coach Charles Lee could line up White, Knueppel, Miller, LeBron and Reid next season.
On the court, LeBron still looked like a star last season, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game for the Lakers. And according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, he is taking his time and keeping his options open, with a championship-level opportunity still at the center of his thinking. He also remains committed to playing at the highest level despite turning 42 in December.
The odds of James landing with the Hornets are described as very, very low. But in today’s NBA, even the most outlandish idea can’t be fully dismissed - especially after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers during the 2024-25 season out of nowhere.
In Other News...
Hornets Finally Set Their Summer League Group And One Absence Stands Out
Charlotte has finally put its Summer League group on paper for the Vegas Classic, which starts July 9, and the roster gives an early look at how the Hornets want to sort out a few of their young pieces. Christian Anderson Jr. is listed as the teams point guard, Hannes Steinbach shows up as a forward/center, and Liam McNeeley is slotted strictly as a forward, small details that still help tell the story of how the club is viewing each player heading into the summer.
PJ Halls name is not on the roster, and that absence is the one that stands out most for a team trying to get a clean evaluation of its newest talent. The two-way player had been expected to be part of the group, so Charlotte will be moving forward without one more developmental body in the mix when the games begin in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans May Not Love What Charlotte Is Doing Next
The LaMelo Ball trade left Charlotte with a massive $40.7 million trade exception, giving the Hornets a rare bit of flexibility to absorb a player in a deal without having to send matching salary back. It is the kind of tool that can shape a roster-building plan for months, and for now the front office has time on its side, with the next real windows for action likely tied to the next trade deadline and the offseason after that.
Even so, the Hornets do not seem eager to force the issue. The market right now is thin, and the kind of players who would make sense are not always available within that exceptions range, which helps explain why Charlotte appears willing to wait and keep its options open. The exception can be held for roughly a year after the trade, so the real question is not whether the Hornets have a major asset to deploy, but when they will finally find the right deal to use it. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Just Got The LaMelo Ball News They Feared
The leagues latest trade wave has only made the East feel more crowded, and Charlottes long-term picture is suddenly a lot harder to read through that lens. Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Miami and Orlando have all been part of the shuffle, with some familiar stars changing uniforms and contenders reworking their cores, while the Hornets are left to sort out where they fit in the new order.
For a team still trying to build something lasting around LaMelo Ball, the broader fallout matters almost as much as any single move. Charlotte has been one of the leagues pesky upstarts at times, but with rivals getting stronger around the conference, the margin for error looks even smaller now as the franchise tries to keep its footing in a much less forgiving landscape. [Read more 🡒]