Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Hornets guard Tre Mann given clean bill of health ahead of pivotal offseason

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 9:35 PM ET

Tre Mann's light burned like a supernova in the fall of 2024. The Charlotte Hornets' sixth man became a viral sensation for his Allen Iverson inspired garb and slick perimeter play to match the off-court swagger.

After filling it up in the preseason and surging up the Sixth Man of the Year awards odds. Mann came out of the gates firing, averaging 14.1 points and 3.0 assists with a myriad of step backs and pirouettes that the world's best gamers couldn't replicate with their joystick.

Unfortunately, his start burned out spectacularly when the team ruled him out indefinitely with a back injury following their November 21st win over Detroit. A two-week re-evaluation period quickly turned into a lost season for Mann. The ailment happened at a disastrous time for the fourth-year guard, in the midst of the most impactful stretch of his career, and just eight months before became a restricted free agent for the first time in his career.

On the precipice of said restricted free agency, ESPN's Shams Charania reported some good news about Mann's back injury.

Heading into Hornets restricted free agency, Tre Mann has fully recovered from his back disc herniation – which limited him to just 13 games last season – and has participated in all of Charlotte's offseason activity and 5-on-5s, his agent Aaron Turner said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2025

Keen observers of Mann's social media feed have been bullish on his health for a few weeks now. The shifty guard has posted a number of videos of him hooping with his teammates and coaches, proving his return to some level of past form.

However, a tweet from Shams Charania usually has a hidden meaning. Is this posturing by Mann's agent as an attempt to start a bidding war for the restricted free agent? Is he trying to put public pressure on Jeff Peterson to fork out some more guaranteed money on a deal they began hashing out today?

Good news for a fan favorite in Charlotte.

Mann and the Hornets could start negotiating a new contract today per league rules. Some posturing here by Mann’s agent? https://t.co/ELYcruQjsr
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) June 24, 2025

Time will tell, but the most important thing here is that it appears Mann will be healthy and ready to go for 2025-26. Back injuries are no joke, and following Tyrese Haliburton's disastrous Achilles tear and an NBA playoffs that featured a number of heartbreaking injuries, some positive injury news, especially for the oft-ailing Charlotte Hornets, is a good thing.