Mar 4, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) reacts against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

NBA draft prospects the Hornets can now consider at pick no. 4

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 12, 2025 8:13 PM ET

Well, it happened, folks. The Charlotte Hornets had their annual letdown at the NBA draft lottery. The Dallas Mavericks literally defied the odds and won the lottery even after Charlotte became the only team with a chance over 10.5% to win the lottery to land in the top four. In fitting fashion, the NBA stuck the Hornets with the fourth pick, the worst possible outcome from that initial scenario.

That said, the pomp and circumstance are over. The mock drafts will now be 100% accurate to where teams are picking. For the longest time, the mocks had Charlotte third overall. Now that they're fourth, what changes?

Not much, ultimately. Going from third to fourth in this draft isn't hugely consequential. Cooper Flagg is off the board. Dylan Harper is the next most likely player to be gone, too. That leaves the Hornets to essentially take the best player left from Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears, or Tre Johnson.

Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Kasparias Jakucionis, and Derik Queen have sometimes hovered around the top five, so they're on the table, too. Ultimately, it's probably going to be Bailey or Edgecombe.

For some time, Bailey was in that top three with Flagg and Harper, but a slightly underwhelming freshman season meant that it was essentially Flagg, a gap, Harper, a small gap, and then Bailey. Edgecombe was right there, too, and that's probably how the draft will play out.

Flagg will go first to Dallas or to whatever team trades for the pick if Nico Harrison wants to do something silly again. Harper is headed to the San Antonio Spurs, in all likelihood, to pair with Victor Wembanyama as two lottery prospects San Antonio really had no business landing.

The Philadelphia 76ers pick third, so that's who to watch. If they keep the pick, they may end up taking Bailey. They have Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in the backcourt, but the frontcourt is aging and injured, with Joel Embiid and Paul George. Taking a successor to George makes the most sense.

That would leave the Hornets with Edgecombe, in all likelihood. However, Philly is in a unique spot. They were bad largely because of health, as McCain, Embiid, and George all missed a chunk of time. So they're not necessarily in need of that top prospect and could package the pick for a star (Giannis Antetokounmpo, for example). That would change things, but the two names Charlotte fans probably need to look into are Bailey and Edgecombe.