Charlotte Hornets Trending in Right Direction with 2025 NBA Draft

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t seen a plethora of success over the last decade.

They’ve eclipsed 40 wins just twice in that span, doing so in the Kemba Walker-led 2014-15 season, and 2021-22 when they saw a healthy streak. Since then, they’ve won just 67 games across three seasons, seeing top picks at the NBA Draft following each of those.

The team has taken different paths at the draft in recent years. They grabbed Brandon Miller at No. 2 in 2023 — an essential no-brainer on the wing next to star guard LaMelo Ball with size, shooting ability and defense. The following year they gambled yet again on positional size and versatility, taking a project pick in jumbo forward Tidjane Salaun.

At the 2025 draft however, the team seems to have taken somewhat of a heel-turn, opting against pure size and upside in favor of results and feel for the game.

At No. 4 the team gambled on Duke wing Kon Knueppel, a sharpshooter with crucial on-ball skills. Near the end of the first round they took Liam McNeeley, a big-bodied forward who saw a topsy-turvy year with UConn, but still projects to be a smart connector on offense. With two seconds, they again opted for proven college impact in Duke wing Sion James and Creighton big Ryan Kalkbrenner.

And Summer League has proven the team's strategy may just work out.

Aside from a slow debut, Knueppel has starred in two later games, going for a double-double with 16 points in his second contest, before leading the team in both scoring and passing in Game 3. McNeeley has been likely the best rookie in Summer League, relative to where he was drafted, looking like a steal with 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his debut, and continued solid play after.

Both Kalkbrenner and James haven't seen statistically blistering Summer League stints, but certainly project to add skills the team needs.

There's little chance all four picks work out for Charlotte, but it seems their 2025 strategy is set to infuse the team with talent in some way or another for the forseeable future. Be it in positively impactful role players, or even ancillary stars down the line.