Zach Kram gave the Charlotte Hornets an A-minus grade after a whirlwind offseason that reshaped a roster that missed the playoffs by a single game and has not been there since 2016. The analyst praised the front office for turning away from short-term contention and instead building a deeper, more flexible foundation anchored by younger talent.
The Hornets moved LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for center Naz Reid, while Miles Bridges was dealt to Phoenix for guard Grayson Allen and forward Royce O'Neale. In the draft, Charlotte added rookie big man Hannes Steinbach and swingman Christian Anderson Jr., bolstering its depth without naming specific picks. The team also re-signed Coby White and acquired veteran Dorian Finney-Smith from Houston, adding both shooting and defensive versatility.
The retained core includes promising pieces such as Kon Knueppel, who posted 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5 % from the field, 42.5 % from three-point range and 86.3 % from the free-throw line. Brandon Miller contributed 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, with a 43.5 % field-goal percentage, 38.3 % from deep and an 89.2 % free-throw clip. LaMelo Ball, who averaged 20.8 points and 7.3 assists over 303 games with Charlotte and earned a lone All-Star nod in 2022, will be absent from the lineup, highlighting the loss of his playmaking.
Losing Ball’s ball-first approach will be felt immediately, but the Hornets doubled down on depth and perimeter shooting. Naz Reid, now a starter at 26, provides a reliable post presence that fits Charles Lee’s motion-heavy scheme. Allen and O’Neale add defensive versatility, while Finney-Smith brings veteran experience and a steady two-way game. The projected starting five of White, Miller, Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté spreads the floor, creates multiple off-ball threats, and should mitigate the loss of Ball’s playmaking.
Looking ahead, the moves signal a shift from short-term contention to a longer-term rebuild anchored by a younger nucleus. Charlotte’s front office chose to cash in on its highest-paid assets to amass draft capital and depth, mirroring a league-wide trend of teams resetting after missing the postseason. If the young core stays healthy and the new pieces click, the Hornets could re-emerge as a playoff contender within two seasons, turning this A-minus grade into a blueprint for sustained success.
