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2025 NBA Cup: Charlotte Hornets group opponents revealed

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 2:20 PM ET

Coming off a campaign in which they finished 0-4 with a -33 point differential, the Charlotte Hornets have nowhere to go but up when it comes to the NBA Cup. In the second installment of the league's now annual in-season tournament, Charles Lee's squad failed to launch, finishing with one of the worst combined records and point differentials in the association.

This afternoon, the league announced the the groups for the 2025 NBA Cup. Charlotte will be in Group C of the Eastern Conference with the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Miami Heat.

The #EmiratesNBACup 2025 Group Draw results!

Starting October 31, all 30 teams will compete for the NBA Cup with 8 teams advancing out of groups into the knockout rounds, with the semifinals and championship held in Las Vegas, December 13 and 16! pic.twitter.com/VJur4Hv0lL
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2025

The grouping is far from a traditional 'group of death,' but the Hornets will have the deck stacked against them. The Knicks are a bona fide championship contender, the Milwaukee Bucks still employ Giannis Antetokounmpo, and both Chicago and Miami have legitimate playoff aspirations.

In each conference, the three group winners and one wild card (the team with the best record/point differential combination) make the knock out rounds, meaning Charlotte will need to either beat each the other four teams in their group, or win three of their four games and hope something breaks their way across the conference.

The full dates of the NBA Cup schedule will be released at a later date, but fans of the Hornets can expect to watch their team take on Chicago and New York in the Queen City.