Kon Knueppel made 273 3-pointers as a rookie in the 2025-26 season – more than anyone else in the league – and no rookie had ever led the NBA in that category before. He nearly stole Rookie of the Year honors from Cooper Flagg.
Charlotte won 44 games last season, up from 19, in its best season since 2015-2016. Then the front office blew it up.
The Hornets sent LaMelo Ball to Minnesota for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round draft pick, three pick swaps and three second-rounders. They moved Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, flipped Tre Mann to Cleveland for Dennis Schroder and re-signed Coby White.
Ball has never competed in a playoff game in six seasons in Charlotte, though the team did beat the Miami Heat in the first
round of the NBA Play-In Tournament last season. But Hornets president Jeff Peterson said the goal "isn't to get to the play-in or even the playoffs for one year."
His goal is build a team with sustained success.
Here's a breakdown of the Charlotte Hornets' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:
Charlotte Hornets offseason review
- Record last season: 44-38 (9th in Eastern Conference)
- Playoff finish: Missed playoffs (lost play-in tournament to Magic)
- Coach: Charles Lee (third season)
- 2026-27 title odds: +12500 (per BetMGM)
- Projected record : 28-54
- Offseason grade : B
Key roster additions
- F Naz Reid (trade)
- G Grayson Allen (trade)
- G Dennis Schroder (trade)
- F Royce O'Neale (trade)
- F Dorian Finney-Smith (trade)
- G Christian Anderson Jr. (draft, No.18)
- F Hannes Steinbach (draft)
Key roster losses
- G LaMelo Ball (trade)
- F Miles Bridges (trade)
- G Josh Green (trade)
- G Tre Mann (trade)
Biggest question entering training camp
Who gets a bucket when nothing works?
Ball was infuriating, and he was also the answer to that question for six years. White has led a team as a primary ball handler in stretches with Chicago but has mostly been a scorer off a second option. Brandon Miller has the frame and the shot profile of a No. 1 option but has not stayed on the floor. Knueppel scored 17 or fewer in 12 of his last 15 games as a rookie.
Head coach Charles Lee now has more shooting, more defense and more bodies than he has ever had. But, he also has less shot creation than he had in April.
Projected starting lineup and rotation
Starters
- G Coby White
- G Kon Knueppel
- F Brandon Miller
- F Naz Reid
- C Moussa Diabate
Rotation players
- G Dennis Schroder
- G Grayson Allen
- F Royce O'Neale
- F Dorian Finney-Smith
- F Grant Williams
- C Ryan Kalkbrenner
What to expect in 2026-27 season
A step back. Charlotte has said as much.
The Hornets ranked second in the league in offensive efficiency and net rating after the All-Star break, and the player who made most of that work now plays in Minnesota. What remains is a deep, connected defensive team with an enormous pile of somebody else's draft picks. Charlotte allowed 111.2 points per game last season, the stingiest mark in the division, and O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith should hold that line.
The play-in is reachable. Anything past it would be a shock. This roster is pointed at 2028, and the front office is not pretending otherwise.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charlotte Hornets season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
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