Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee talks with Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Don't sleep on Tre Mann as Hornets' possible point guard of the future

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Colin Keane | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 9:00 PM ET

In conversations about the Charlotte Hornets’ rebuild, not enough is said about 24-year-old point guard Tre Mann. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are considered Charlotte’s two building blocks, and for good reason, but there are a lot of people sleeping on Mann.

Mann’s averages per 36 minutes as a pro (181 career games) show that he’s a reliable scorer (15.9 points per 36 mins.) and a sneaky good rebounder (4.8 per 36 mins.). Last season, Mann averaged 20.7 points per 36 minutes for Charlotte before getting injured and seeing his season end after just 13 games played.

NBA writer praises Hornets’ Tre Mann, says Hornets don't need LaMelo Ball

Using the per 36 minutes metric is important for Mann because it tells you what he could do if he were a starter. In 13 games for a very talented Oklahoma City Thunder team in 2023-24 (before getting traded to Charlotte), Mann averaged 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds (!), and 6.1 assists per 36.

The year prior (Mann’s sophomore NBA season), Mann recorded a triple-double for the Thunder at just 22 years old — 24 points, 12 boards, and 12 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Of course, Mann wasn’t the starting point guard in OKC with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being there, and he hasn’t been the starter in Charlotte due to LaMelo.

Tre Mann never goes out the house without that DRIP

pic.twitter.com/l0aG52TH1J
— SleeperHornets (@SleeperHornets) September 24, 2025

But don’t let that fool you into thinking that Mann isn’t good enough to be a starting NBA point guard. He certainly has the talent of one, with his college production, draft position (No. 18 overall in 2021), and NBA production (adjusted for minutes) indicating that.

Charlotte was frankly lucky to acquire Mann from OKC, who basically only traded Mann because they had an absurd surplus of riches at the guard position.

And with LaMelo entering somewhat of a make-or-break year in Charlotte in terms of his status as a franchise player, don’t rule out the possibility of the Hornets opting to prioritize Mann as a starter in the long run if Melo doesn’t work out.

TrueHoop’s David Thorpe made comments about Mann this week on The Kevin O’Connor Show that support the above theory.

“I love Tre Mann’s game,” Thorpe said. “I’d like to see Tre really take a step forward … because (with) a lineup of Tre Mann and Brandon Miller, they don't need LaMelo. That’s a good backcourt right there, as the starting point. I think Tre's way better than people realize.”

Mann, like Melo, has durability concerns. He appeared in just 54 games combined over the last two NBA seasons, but his 60 and 67 games played in his first two campaigns were more encouraging.

All in all, Mann deserves a lot more credit from fans and analysts. The Hornets have a few exciting young guys, no doubt, but Mann is as thrilling as any one of them.

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

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