Stuck in the Middle with Melo: Are the Hornets in One of the Worst Roster Situations?

On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill and Ryen Russillo played their favorite offseason game: projecting the NBA’s worst long-term roster situations. Tucked between predictable entries like the Wizards and Nets was a more surprising inclusion—the Charlotte Hornets.

No, Charlotte isn’t the full-on disaster it was a year or two ago. But both Simmons and Russillo agreed: the direction still feels murky, and the franchise may be quietly teetering in dangerous territory. The central issue? The team’s brightest star is also its biggest question mark.

LaMelo Ball has played just 105 games over the last three seasons, and his impact is as volatile as his availability. He’s electric when healthy, but Simmons floated the idea that Charlotte might be “held hostage” by his star power—prioritizing LaMelo’s highlight-reel appeal over actual team-building progress.

And yet, the roster on paper doesn’t look bad: Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Grant Williams, Miles Bridges, and rookie shooter Kon Kneuppel, plus a stash of draft picks—including one from Dallas. The Hornets have been making savvy, low-risk moves this offseason, suggesting there’s competence in the building. It just hasn’t materialized in the win column… yet.

Simmons even threw out a hypothetical: if Charlotte called Pat Riley and offered to swap entire situations—roster, picks, everything—would Miami say yes? He thought they might. That’s how promising Charlotte’s asset sheet is. But it all comes back to the same pivot point: can Ball stay healthy and evolve into a franchise cornerstone?

For now, Charlotte’s not in the basement—but they’re hovering near the trapdoor.