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Charlotte Hornets 25-and-under rankings: How does the 'young core' shake out?

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 10:16 AM ET

The overarching goal of the general manager of a professional sports franchise is to amass enough talent to compete for a championship. If the GM can amass talent that is young, malleable, and cost-controlled, than they've done their job at the highest level.

Nobody in the National Basketball Association has been better at this than Oklahoma City's Sam Presti.

The lead decision-maker of the reigning champions has amassed a young core of All-NBA level players, ideal role players to surround their 'big three' with, and enough draft capital to keep the gravy train flowing for the foreseeable future.

The goal for Jeff Peterson, the general manager of the Charlotte Hornets, is to build an asset base that can compete with the Thunder. And in just over a year in the job, Peterson is off to a fast start.

Charlotte has a number of talented players under the age of 25 (my definition of 'young' in this exercise) that will make up the base of its roster going forward. Let's rank those players (Hornets on two-way contracts not included).

Tier Five: The proven commodities

11. Nick Smith Jr.
10. Josh Green

Smith and Green are both useful NBA players, but for different reasons.

At his best, NSJ can score in flurries with his jitterbug handle and smooth shooting stroke. He's still only 21-years-old with plenty of margin to grow, but Charlotte's offseason overhaul of their roster has seemingly squeezed the third-year guard out of the rotation.

Green, on the other hand, is a staunch perimeter defender. The Aussie cut his teeth in Dallas, functioning as sixth-man on an NBA Finals team before getting traded to Charlotte and failing to extrapolate his impact in a larger role.

The ranking of Smith Jr. and Green says more about the rest of Charlotte's young talent than it does about them.

Tier Four: The projects

9. Sion James
8. Ryan Kalkbrenner
7. Liam McNeeley

James, Kalkbrenner, and McNeeley skyrocketing up this list is the key to the Hornets climbing from the outhouse to the penthouse.

In the 'second apron' era, successful NBA teams have to find impactful rotation players in the late-first, early-second round of the NBA Draft, and Charlotte's three swings at James, Kalkbrenner, and McNeely are their chance at finding the Hornets' version of Andrew Nembhard, Lu Dort, or Jaylin Williams.

Tier Three: The French connection

6. Tidjane Salaun
5. Moussa Diabate

If the previous tier is the biggest key to Charlotte's long-term success, this tier is the biggest key to Charlotte's success this year.

Both Diabate and Salaun project to be important members in Charles Lee's front court, and the versatility and intensity that the Frenchmen bring to the court will be necessary for Charlotte to overcome the size and defensive deficiencies that may plague them in 2025-26.

Tier Two: The rookie and the vet

4. Tre Mann
3. Kon Knueppel

Mann was on his way to sixth-man stardom before a back injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign. If he can return to that form, his microwave scoring ability off Charlotte's bench will be invaluable, and he'll easily ou tproduce the team-friendly contract he signed this offseason.

Knueppel has the goods to escalate into the top tier alongside Ball and Miller. His overall connectivity and well-rounded skill set are tailor-made for the modern NBA, allowing him to slide into a handful of positions and countless lineups to set up his teammates to thrive. Knueppel has limited pathways to becoming a true 'superstar,' but he has unlimited pathways to starring in his role.

Tier One: The Cornerstones

2. Brandon Miller
1. LaMelo Ball

Everything for the Charlotte Hornets hinges on the growth of Ball and Miller.

Brandon was on the path to usurping LaMelo at number one before a wrist injury stunted his growth, but incremental gains by the both of them will continue to make this a heated race for the number one spot while raising the ceiling in the Queen City.

For me, Ball's proven brilliance at the point guard position, his elite size and wingspan, and his ability to raise the level of his teammates keep him at number one.

The world just saw Tyrese Haliburton take the game of basketball by storm with a style of play that Ball can replicate, and projecting him to do so will take a couple of things: a commitment to his own health, growth from his teammates, and the freedom to play the game with the free-flowing style that has turned him into a global superstar.