How does the offseason grade out for Hornets? Evaluating Charlotte’s roster moves
In the aftermath of the NBA Draft and leading into free agency, Jeff Peterson provided some insight into how the Charlotte Hornets were approaching the 2025 offseason.
“At the end of the day, we are still in the building phase,” Peterson, the Hornets’ president of basketball operations, said upon completion of the league’s two-day run of selecting first-year players. “And to get to where you want to go, it starts with competitors.”
Over the past month, the Hornets have reshaped their roster, doing more than a few tweaks. It’s a necessity for a team that finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 19-63 record — tying for the third fewest wins in franchise history — furthering its dubious distinction of boasting the league’s lengthiest current postseason drought.
Charlotte is sitting at the offseason maximum of 21 players following the most recent transactions, which included the official signing of Antonio Reeves to a two-way contract and subsequent release of Damion Baugh.
So, the Hornets still have roster decisions to make and aren’t completely done shaping things before heading into training camp and the preseason opener on Oct. 5 against Oklahoma City in Charleston, S.C.. There’s no rush to trim three players, though, given they have nearly two full months before a decision technically must be made.
Here’s a look at how the Hornets’ offseason grades out:
NBA Draft
Armed with three picks initially — a first-rounder and a pair of seconds — the Hornets were in decent position to add some young talent to the roster. But Peterson wasn’t content with just those three picks.
Some pundits believed he would trade one away. Instead, Peterson acquired another, giving the Hornets four new players.
At the very top of the list is Kon Knueppel, who has shown flashes he can be a solid player, as evidenced by winning summer league’s most valuable player honors thanks to a great outing in the championship game.
Peterson also acquired another first-round pick in the deal sending Mark Williams to Phoenix that turned into Liam McKneely, who’s given off early indications he’ll be more than adequate as a pro.
Throw in second rounders Sion James — someone who could bring something similar to what Lou Dort does for reigning champion Oklahoma City — and a potential center of the future in Ryan Kalkbrenner, and the Hornets easily had one of the best drafts of any lottery team.
And when is the last time anyone said that?
Grade: A+
Free agency/post draft
This can’t be emphasized enough: shedding a player that wasn’t going to be coming back for an actual second run with the team by acquiring assets in return was a master class by Peterson.
Vasa Micic got shipped to Milwaukee for Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks, mere days after Micic was sent back to the Hornets in a draft day trade for Mark Williams and the No. 29 overall selection. That, of course, came four months after Micic was routed to the Suns in the Jusuf Nurkic deal.
Micic won’t be part of the Bucks plans either, having taken a buyout that assisted in Milwaukee’s free agency signing of Myles Turner.
But Peterson’s best move of the offseason could be trading for Collin Sexton. He’s already shown a willingness to be a leader and team with LaMelo Ball to form a tough backcourt.
The only real question mark centers around, well, the center position. Beyond signing Mason Plumlee to a one-year deal, triggering the veteran’s return for a second tour of duty with the Hornets, and adding Kalkbrenner, they have done nothing to bulk up their frontline.
That’s very concerning and could be a real detriment beyond making things difficult against some of the elite centers in the league. Lacking a rugged interior presence will lead to it being more of a chore to string together any sustained success.
Grade: B
Summer (League) extras
While it may not seem like the biggest deal to some organizations given it’s just “summer league basketball,” it’s a little bit different for the Hornets and the reaction over the last couple of weeks is just a big rubber stamp.
Summer league games aren’t necessarily about results because the play can mirror a glorified scrimmage or an intense rec league game. For some organizations, capturing the summer league championship is a mere blip on a radar screen.
But when it comes to their professional basketball in Charlotte, it’s been quite a barren landscape — results-wise. The franchise hasn’t just struggled during the regular season, it’s also failed to advance past the semifinal final round in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Fans are yearning for anything to cheer about, and a summer league title has many feeling rather giddy. And although there won’t be a banner raised in the Spectrum Center rafters on opening night, celebrating the title to go along with their championship ring hardware, there’s no denying what that summer league run means to everyone within the organization.
Grade: A+
Summary
The two words “premier organization” are something repeated constantly by the Hornets’ upper crust, and it’s been that way ever since Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin became majority co-owners in 2023. During that time span, on those extremely brief occasions when the Hornets were discussed nationally, that perception seemed far from a reality.
Perhaps, there are indicators that’s changing.
A foundation is being laid and the groundwork appears to be forming, suggesting there might be a rainbow out there after all for Charlotte’s beleaguered basketball fandom. But the positive incremental steps and momentum gathered over the last couple of months can’t fizzle out in the form of injuries and losses again, or even the biggest loyalist could lose hope.
For now, however, optimism should reign supreme in Hornetsland. We’ll see if that actually leads to the NBA’s current longest postseason drought halting at a decade come April.
Overall grade: A-
