Mar 1, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee talks to guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Hornets rise in ESPN's power rankings after underrated offseason full of smart swaps

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 8:28 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets quietly made a lot of moves this offseason. They didn't do anything earth-shattering, but they did swap out a ton of pieces and have totally revamped their roster. How much has that made them better?

Only time will really tell. Until this team gets on an NBA court against another NBA team in the regular season, it's hard to say whether or not they'll be better than they were in 2024-25. However, the free agency and draft moves they have made seem to have pushed them forward a bit.

ESPN moved them up one spot in the power rankings, which is minuscule but noteworthy given that these moves haven't played out on the court yet. On paper, this means the Hornets are better than they were at the end of the 2024-25 season.

"Charlotte made some under-the-radar moves to improve, headlined by landing Collin Sexton from Utah in exchange for center Jusuf Nurkic. Moving big man Mark Williams (for the 29th pick, which turned out to be Liam McNeeley, and a 2029 first-round selection from Phoenix) and Nurkic," Chris Herring said.

"The deals should open more opportunities for 23-year-old center Moussa Diabate, who played well in a reserve role last season, logging more than 1,200 minutes," he added. "(Second-round pick Ryan Kalkbrenner should see time there as well.) And bringing back Tre Mann on a reasonable deal was another clear positive for the Hornets."

All in all, the Hornets made a few smart moves this offseason. They enacted a bit of a mass exodus at the center position, but that should help some young players develop, and it still brought them nice returns with contributors and picks. 2024-25 was a bit of a nightmare on many fronts, but it certainly looks as if 2025-26 will be better.