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NBA analyst: Charlotte Hornets have work to do to fix 'weird' roster

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 2:14 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets put in a lot of work this offseason to reshape the roster, but almost all of it was to set themselves up for the future. They drafted two 19-year-old prospects and got future picks back in virtually every move they made. Unfortunately, it resulted in a terribly unbalanced roster.

The Hornets have countless guards, a couple of wings, and precious few big men on the roster. Despite that, they have far too many players under contract right now, which means their work isn't even done yet. CBS Sports insider James Herbert said the Hornets are one team that still has plenty to do even at this advanced stage of the offseason.

"Have you looked at the Hornets' roster lately? It's weird, man. They have 18 guys under contract, and one of their two non-guaranteed deals belongs to Moussa Diabate, who could conceivably be their starting center," Herbert said. DaQuan Jeffries is the other non-guaranteed contract, and he's probably going to be waived.

The Hornets got two second-round picks for taking on Pat Connaughton, a $9.4 million prime buyout candidate. However, since he hasn't been bought out yet, it begs the question: What are the Hornets planning with him?

"As well as being thin at center -- besides Diabate, the options are veteran Mason Plumlee and No. 34 pick Ryan Kalkbrenner -- the Hornets suddenly have a surplus of ballhandling guards: LaMelo Ball, the newly acquired Collin Sexton, the re-signed Tre Mann, the newly signed Spencer Dinwiddie and the returning Nick Smith Jr., plus their own summer league standout, KJ Simpson, on a two-way," Herbert added.

Of those, Nick Smith Jr. is the likeliest player to be traded, but that won't be easy since he doesn't have much value around the league. Either way, the Hornets have two major issues right now: too many players overall and not enough roster balance. They might've been the NBA's most active team this offseason, but they're still not done.