The Charlotte Hornets suddenly have a problem they haven't had for years: too many good big men. For a long time, they've searched for answers down low, and now they have more answers than questions.
The Charlotte Hornets have done plenty of wheeling and dealing this offseason, and the result is a roster that only slightly resembles the one from last year.
Retiring jerseys is a topic that will spur some kind of reaction from Hornet fans. Many would argue the team should be retiring more numbers, while others would say there haven’t been enough impactful players to warrant such an action.
How many of the players to appear in the most playoff games for every NBA franchise can you name in five minutes?
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller were a huge part of the Charlotte Hornets’ surprise run last season. They electrified Buzz City with their impressive chemistry.
The regular season is important, but NBA legends are made in the playoffs. More specifically, it's the Finals where the all-time greats have built their otherworldly reputations.
For most, summer is a time to unwind, relax, and maybe swim a little. Unfortunately, that standard of living does not apply in the NBA, where summer is a time to make some big moves.
The Charlotte Hornets have a $40.7 million trade exemption from the LaMelo Ball deal. It's the largest in NBA history, and it's use it or lose it. The Hornets have until next summer to use it, which means the trade deadline could be wildly interesting.
Last year, Moussa Diabaté came out of virtually nowhere and became a key fixture in the Charlotte Hornets' starting lineup. I'm not sure we will see a Diabaté-like rise from anyone on the Hornets' roster in 2026-27, but the roster is full of players who could have a "breakout" type of season.
Adley Rutschman to Boston. Taylor Ward to Seattle. Robbie Ray to San Diego. Luis Arraez to Philadelphia. The stove is HOT. There are few trade deadlines like there is in MLB.
Typically, the path to the NBA for most players is to spend at least a season in college to get high-level basketball and important development under their belts.
The Charlotte Hornets need a backup point guard. Christian Anderson Jr. is probably not quite ready to run the offense as the secondary guard, with a stint in the G League likely necessary.
It's wild how much just one season can change your outlook on a specific position. Before the start of the 2025-26 campaign, everyone thought, myself included, that the Charlotte Hornets would struggle mightily in the frontcourt with just Moussa Diabaté, Mason Plumlee, and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.
The Charlotte Hornets' newest lottery pick, Hannes Steinbach, has already generated plenty of excitement among the fan base heading into his first professional season after an excellent four-game Summer League showcase.
It’s time to play a little fantasy basketball. The Hornets got the players; now let’s figure out how it will all work. These are five lineups I’d like to see this season.
The Charlotte Hornets were very interested in the plethora of big men in their drafting range at the 2026 NBA draft. They ultimately selected Hannes Steinbach 14th overall, but they had their pick of Steinbach, Karim Lopez, Jayden Quaintance, or Chris Cenac Jr.
The Hornets have officially waived forward Mouhamadou Gueye, the team announced on Thursday (via Twitter). The move had long been expected, especially since the Spanish team Valencia Basket announced last week that it had reached an agreement to add Gueye to its roster for the coming season.
The Charlotte Hornets moved up in the lottery to the number two overall pick in 2023. Falling one spot shy of Victor Wembanyama (sorry to remind everyone), they were left with the pick of the litter.
Here are three teams that look like they're headed for a decline in fortunes ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Tosan Evbuomwan, who spent time with four NBA teams over the past three seasons, has signed a two-year contract with Barcelona, the Spanish club announced in a press release.
Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball were lighting it up together, quickly establishing themselves as one of the most dangerous duos in the league. It lasted just one season, however, before the Charlotte Hornets moved on from the veteran.
In a pair of interviews with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Hornets head coach Charles Lee expressed optimism about the team’s offseason moves while acknowledging it was tough to see longtime starters LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges be traded to the Timberwolves and Suns, respectively.
The Charlotte Hornets have changed the way in which they build their roster in recent years. In have come fundamentally sound players with a track record of winning, and out have gone athletically gifted but raw talents and players who haven’t already proven they can contribute to winning.
The 2026 summer represented the Charlotte Hornets’ first real glimpse into the franchise’s post-LaMelo blueprint. The organization is clearly prioritizing patience, player development, and long-term flexibility.
The 2026 NBA offseason has been in full swing over the last few weeks. Several teams have made both blockbuster and smaller trades, but few franchises have been as active as the Charlotte Hornets.
Thursday night marked the first game of the NBA Summer League for the Charlotte Hornets, meaning the debuts of their two first-round picks, Christian Anderson and Hannes Steinbach.
There's been one constant in the Hornets' aggressive, multiyear rebuild: getting draft picks from the Suns.
The Charlotte Hornets are continuing to add future assets, possibly for an even bigger swing later.
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