Mar 23, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) is defended by Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Winners and losers from the Hornets' busy offseason

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 9:26 AM ET

The Ch arlotte Hornets enjoyed a whirlwind of an offseason. Players came and went, and the team is very different heading into 2025-26, which is a good thing after a 19-win season. Which players benefit the most? What about the least? Here are the biggest winners and losers.

Winner: LaMelo Ball

An influx of talent can only serve to help Charlotte's best player, but this offseason was specifically about adding pieces around LaMelo Ball. He now has some much better, more reliable shooters he can get the ball to. His assist numbers should go up, and his shooting might with all this spacing, too.

Loser: Nick Smith Jr.

Not only did the Hornets add literally every guard imaginable this offseason, but then KJ Simpson went and had a dynamite Summer League. Smith Jr. looks like the last man off the bench at this point, and his days in Charlotte might be numbered. If they're not, he's just going to waste away on the bench or G-League.

Winner: Charles Lee

At times, Charles Lee had a totally befuddling group of players, through no fault of his own, on the court last year. It was a disastrous first year for a coach, but he couldn't do anything about the injuries and genuine lack of depth. This year, he's a big winner because he probably won't have to use so many 10-day contracts in the actual lineup.

Loser: Moussa Diabate

Moussa Diabate thrived as a bench rebounder and energy player. He was great being used for defensive lineups and as an infusion of energy whenever the team needed it. His lack of offensive skills (aside from insane offensive rebounding) kept him from being much more, but now he's supposed to be the starting center. The moves didn't bring in any legit bigs (in fact, it resulted in the exit of two), which l eaves Diabate out of his depth.

Winner: Jeff Peterson

After drafting Tidjane Salaun and then the botched Mark Williams trade, Jeff Peterson's reputation was not looking good. Impressively, he has totally turned that around. Every single move he made was at least solid, and most were really good this offseason. He rebounded from the Williams trade with flying colors, and he has slowly set the Hornets up for the future so well.