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Charlotte Hornets given virtually no shot at NBA title after offseason

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 2:40 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets are probably a year away from being a contender, if not longer than that. They're building for the future, it just so happens that they've also managed to field what projects to be a decent 2025-26 roster in the meantime.

But since the 2025-26 season is next, the immediate goal for teams is to win the title. Not every team can do that, though. In fact, Bleacher Report insider Greg Swartz isn't sold on Charlotte's title chances at all.

"The Charlotte Hornets are tied with the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards for the worst championship odds of any NBA team," Swartz said. "This seems a bit unfair, as the Hornets should at least be trying to win."

So in order to illustrate the gap between those teams, Swartz has the Hornets a D chance of winning the title, whereas the other three squads got an F. There's at least a clear gap between Charlotte and the bottom of the NBA here.

"LaMelo Ball has been an All-Star. Brandon Miller averaged 21.0 points per game last season at age 22. No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel could start immediately with his sweet outside shooting," the insider went on.

He said that no one is arguing that the Hornets are going to be a playoff team. Not having even a single legitimate center on the roster negates that possibility in all likelihood. "Placing them at the bottom of the NBA with teams who will be actively trying to lose isn't fair, however," Swartz clarified.

The insider concluded, "If Ball is healthy, this team is a center trade away from at least being a play-in team in the East." And it's possible that they won't even need a trade to pull it off. Moussa Diabate is a fantastic rebounder and defender, but the Hornets have four capable offensive players they can put around him with ease.

Ryan Kalkbrenner projects to also be better on defense than offense, but he has exhibited some offensive skills, including a three-point shot, so it wouldn't be a shock if he ended up being decent after a lengthy college career.

There's enough on the roster from those two to Grant Williams and Mason Plumlee to think they can pull a Moneyball and recreate a legitimate center in the interim. If that happens, then they probably won't end up near those other bottom-feeders.