Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) look up during overtime against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

NBA media offers mixed signals on what the Hornets will do on draft night

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 9:02 AM ET

Tomorrow night, the Charlotte Hornets will try to select a game-changing prospect, one who can finally lift the floor of this team and give them another key building block. After landing fourth in the NBA lottery, it's been largely unclear who they'll be selecting.

Initially, it looked like they'd be picking either Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe. Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, and a couple of others have entered the conversation, too. Since then, Edgecombe has been linked endlessly to the Philadelphia 76ers, so he's probably off the board.

With hours remaining before tomorrow night's draft, there's no consensus on what Charlotte is going to do. They could go in any number of directions, and the NBA media seems to understand that. Bleacher Report is predicting Bailey. CBS believes it'll be Edgecombe. ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, and The Athletic all think it's Knueppel.

B/R's Andy Bailey said, "Three experts have Duke's Kon Knueppel going to the Charlotte Hornets... If they do take Ace Bailey, it won't be too hard to figure out why. Before refusing a number of pre-draft workouts, he was a near-consensus pick at No. 3 for months. His combination of size and willingness to take (and occasionally make) tough shots is easy to imagine alongside LaMelo Ball's playmaking and Brandon Miller's shooting on the other wing."

There are problems with Bailey, such as his pre-draft decisions and his refusal to even work out for teams past the top three, and Knueppel. Edgecombe has one main problem, too, and that's his availability at four. Knueppel is seen as more of a role player than a potential future star.

The Hornets' new front office likes to keep things close to the chest, so there's a good reason no one seems to know who they're going to take. It's likely to stay that way all the way until they get on the clock tomorrow evening.