Apr 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Damion Baugh (7) dribbles down the court during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The most pressing need for the Charlotte Hornets in free agency

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 9:57 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets' 2024-25 season came to an end with a tight loss to the defending champions on Sunday. They finished 19-63, third-worst in the entire NBA. It's now officially time to start working for the 2025-26 season, and that begins with considering what they need to do in free agency.

What they should do ultimately is determined by who they draft, which makes things complicated. They need another guard, but not if they draft Dylan Harper. They could use a small/power forward, but not if they draft either Ace Bailey or Cooper Flagg, for example.

Truthfully, Charlotte isn't in the position yet to make splash signings. The Hornets do figure to have a lot of cap space and could make a splash, but their roster just isn't at that phase yet. They're still working out a core, so signing someone like Julius Randle or James Harden isn't feasible.

Instead, the Hornets need to focus on building up an NBA-level bench. While it was probably good for the young players like Tidjane Salaun, KJ Simpson, and Nick Smith Jr. to get so many minutes this year, it was ultimately not good for remaining competitive. They used an alarming number of 10-day contracts for players ultimately best suited for the G League.

When players go down, good teams often have the depth to survive some of those injuries. The Hornets clearly did not, as they struggled to replace every single player that got injured. That can't be, so the Hornets need to find veterans who can step in in those spots and also raise the floor of the bench units.

That could be someone like Steven Adams. Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, Malik Beasley, Russell Westbrook, or Bobby Portis. None of these players will break the bank, and if things go awry, they'd be cheap contracts that would be easy to sell off at the deadline.

That's a secondary thing the Hornets can target in the free agent pool. You never want to expect to have to sell at the trade deadline, but coming off a 19-win season is a good time to consider it. Veterans are always good to have, but someone that could contribute to a winning team is good even if that winning team ends up being someone else by mid-February.

The free agent class isn't that deep. It's top-heavy with players like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but those aren't realistic options for the Hornets. That's why it's best to look for depth and possible trade assets instead of a splash.