Charlotte Hornets Mock Draft: Blockbuster Trade Lands Perfect Prospects and Assets

Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) during a practice session ahead of the Final Four Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Charlotte Hornets Mock Draft: Blockbuster Trade Lands Perfect Prospects and Assets

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 5, 2026 1:45 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets have two picks in the upcoming draft, and one of them is in the lottery, although it has virtually no shot at moving up from its current 14th position. Still, owning two picks in a loaded draft class is pretty perfect.

The Hornets don't have glaring needs, but there are some pressing issues they need to address. Here's how they can do just that while also adding assets to their growing collection.

Hornets mock draft lands Koa Peat and Henri Veesaar

1.14: Arizona F Koa Peat

There was a time when Koa Peat was a top-10 prospect. He's not anymore, but he fits right in with the Hornets' draft range and their needs. He's a bruiser, and while he doesn't do much from beyond the arc, he's a solid defender. He would make a nice upgrade, adding a little more size and physicality, over Miles Bridges at the four.

1.30: North Carolina C Henri Veesaar

The Mavericks called and offered an absolute haul to trade up from 30 to 17 for Cameron Carr, sending the 30th pick as well as a 2028 first (OKC), 2030 first (San Antonio), and their own 2032 first-round pick to Charlotte. Jeff Peterson would make that deal in a heartbeat.

The Hornets then grabbed North Carolina center Henri Veesaar. The big man who spent one season in-state shot 42.6% from three on three attempts per game at seven feet tall. That kind of size and shooting is exactly what the Hornets need.

It is unlikely that both Veesar and Peat would start. The Hornets need to keep Moussa Diabaté in the lineup, but this allows them some flexibility. Veesaar is a pretty stout defender, too, so they could put Diabaté at the four and allow Veesaar to protect the rim and stretch the floor.

They could leave Diabaté as the center and bring in Peat to help provide interior defense and physicality, though the shooting in this lineup would suffer. The ideal situation here is to start Veesaar and bring Peat off the bench.

Much of the talk surrounding the Hornets' two first-round picks has been about trading them both to move up. That's still a good idea, but if the Hornets do keep the picks, trading down like this would actually be a perfect outcome.

The Hornets need size, physicality, and shooting in the lineup. By adding both Peat and Veesaar, they would do a good enough job at adding all three, which otherwise is a very tall task.

This article first appeared on Charlotte Hornets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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