Oct 9, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaün (31) shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of a game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Hornets should embrace difficult decision concerning Tidjane Salaün

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Colin Keane | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 2:01 PM ET

How the Charlotte Hornets decide to handle Tidjane Salaün in the coming months will provide a clear hint about the franchise's goals for the 2025-26 season.

If Charlotte is low-key okay with tanking for another year, keeping Salaün in the rotational mix makes some sense.

On the other hand, if the Hornets' goal is to be competitive this season, it doesn't make sense for Salaün to be taking bench minutes on the wing away from Liam McNeeley or Pat Connaughton (as long as the Hornets have Connaughton).

Heck, even Drew Peterson is a more NBA-ready option right now than Salaün, at least in terms of making the right decision with the basketball, limiting mistakes, and complementing Charlotte's stars.

Hornets wing Tidjane Salaun needs more time in the G League to develop, and that's okay

With the No. 6 pick of the 2024 #NBADraft, the @hornets select Tidjane Salaun! pic.twitter.com/5vgmNDVsw8
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 27, 2024

It might be frustrating for some Hornets fans to accept that the team's No. 6 overall pick from 2024 was used on a guy that still isn't ready to contribute at the NBA level, but keep in mind that Salaün turned 20 years old in August.

Salaün has great size and athleticism to go along with a developing skill set, but his decision-making and feel for the game still needs a ton of work. It's clear that Salaün simply hasn't gotten enough reps as a pro basketball player.

That's why maximizing Salaün's minutes in the G League is the best thing for his development, far more productive than throwing him into a limited role on an NBA floor, where defenses will know how to expose his discomfort and undeveloped floor awareness, which in turn could damage his confidence.

Tidjane Salaun doesn't deserve minutes in the Hornets' rotation

When it comes to Charlotte's wing options off the bench, McNeeley, Connaughton, and Peterson are all better bets than Salaün right now to stay composed against NBA-level defenses and add value to winning for the Hornets in 2025-26.

Once Grant Williams returns from injury, there's even less room for Salaün, as Williams would be cutting into opportunities for Salaun at the four.

There's no shame in Salaün needing more time to hone his craft in the G. The Hornets also have two more years of club options with Salaün, so there isn't any pressure to "audition" him on the NBA stage for a trade.

Salaün remaining in the rotation, or worse, on the bench, doesn't align with the best plan for his development, and it doesn't align with Charlotte being as competitive as possible this season.

His potential is still excellent, but the Hornets need to manage his development with care.