Charlotte Hornets 2025-26 Season Preview & Predictions
Yo, what’s going on guys? Today I want to do the Charlotte Hornets 2025 2016 preview and predictions. I’m currently traveling to Lafia. You guys are probably watching this while I’m in Latafia as a media credentialed journalist covering the final and the knockout tourney. Either way, let me hear your thoughts. What do you think of the Charlotte Hornets? So, the Hornets are looking to put a disastrous injury riddled season behind them. With their core players returning from surgery, their new coach entering his second year, and a reshaped roster featuring a mix of veterans and intriguing rookies, the team aims to rise above low expectations that defined its last campaigns, or even the most recent of campaigns over the last couple years. The overarching question is whether this group can finally break the cycle of underachievement that has plagued the franchise. The Hornets 2024 to2 season was defined by one word, disappointment. A franchise record of 19 and 63 was a grim testament to a season derel by injuries to their most important players including LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams. The team’s offense was one of the worst in the league, ranking 29th, and a revolving door of lineups meant that they never found any consistency. Starting guard Josh Green, a defensive specialist who impacts both ends of the floor, was forced into primary scoring roles, and that’s not what he’s suited for and averaged just under eight points a game as a starter. This summer, the front office made it clear that they wanted to address this issue by bringing in a mix of veteran talent and young prospects to add muchneeded depth, firepower, and some adults into the room. I think these moves were strategic, aiming to both improve the team in the short term and build for the future. Before we continue, I want to hear your thoughts. First off, do you guys rather see this as a slideshow or with the highlights how we’re doing right now? And what is your expectations and predictions for this Hornets team? I think they could be a playin team at the very least. Hit that like and subscribe button for more content like this. Now, Charlotte’s offseason was a flurry of activity, headlined by a significant reshaping of the back court. Colin Saxton via the Jazz trade for Yseph Nerkage. They got themselves a second round pick was a great pickup this summer. Sexton brings muchneeded shot of scoring and offensive aggression. Now, he’s a player who can create his own shot, create for others, and put pressure on the defense. He’s a hard worker, something that the Hornets desperately lacked last season. He’s expected to compete for starting minutes or at least be the team sixman behind LaMelo Ball. And if he can form a dynamic, maybe undersized duo with LaMelo Ball, it could work because it wouldn’t be undersized, but Colin Saxon’s like 6-1 now. Bringing in Spencer Denwitty, a veteran point guard signed to a minimum contract, provides a safety net for LaMelo, who’s just been often injured. His ability to handle the ball, get to the rim, those high off the glass layups, and run the offense as a backup means the Hornets won’t completely collapse if or when ball needs to come out the game or miss time. Conanol with the fourth pick was drafted to provide the missing piece. I’ve literally said this that he is the better shooting version of DeAndre Hunter. Not as long, maybe not as good defensively, but just there similar type of archetype there. And he’s a lights out shooter. incredible basketball IQ, strong playmaker. He’s a perfect fit for this team that wants to play under Charles Lee with pace and space. He could earn a spot in the rotation immediately. Liam McNeely was another pickup that value they got at the end of the first round. He had size, three-point shooting, kind of like a Cory Kasper. And his acquisition along with Canipple in the draft just shows they wanted to bring high character guys. They decided to trade away the often injured Mark Williams, a young center with rim protecting upside is a calculated risk. While he had potential, the front office clearly felt the need for more immediate offensive punch and depth. And that’s what they got in the Sex trade. And part of the reason why they did this was they didn’t draft and they had no allegiance to him. The team also resigned guard trade man to a three-year $24 million deal, rewarding his solid playing back court versatility even though he didn’t play most of the season due to injury. I expect the starting lineup by some point in the season. I think the start of the year is probably LaMelo Ball, Trey Man, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mason Plumbley. By the end of the year, Made Coniple gets in there. The Hornets have multiple players now in LaMelo Ball, Miller, Saxton, Canipple, McNeely who can create their own shot and shoot comfortably comfortably from beyond the ark. This creates, I think, a more dynamic and less predictable offense. Then the days of having one ball handler are over. With LaMelo Ball, Sexton, Denwitty, I think this is a team that’s going to have multiple ball handlers on the floor who can take turns running the offense, reducing the pressure on LaMelo, as well as being able to play off ball and keeping the team afloat when he’s off the court or when he’s playing badly or injured. And the influx of high potential rookies like Con Canipple and Liam McNeely gives the team foundational pieces for the future, especially as they mature and grow alongside Ball and Miller. The trade of Mark Williams leaves a few major holes, especially at the center position. Mason Bumley and rookie Ryan Culbrunner with Musa Diabate are capable players that are going to run center by committee, but I don’t know if any of them are going to be this dominant player. They can protect the rim. can bring some value, but I think they’ll struggle to score in the interior. I don’t think on the defensive end they’ll be vulnerable, but I think their interior scoring might be vulnerable from their bigs perspective. The biggest question mark remains Lel Ball’s health ability. The best ability is availability, and he has missed a staggering number of games over the past three seasons, and his availability is directly tied to the team ceiling. If he gets hurt again, the Hornets could quickly find themselves at the bottom of the standings. The team’s defense was a problem last season and the addition of offensively minded players like Sexton and Canipple doesn’t necessarily solve that issue. Coach Charles Lee is going to have to figure out this challenge, which may be a big one, and getting this group to buy in on the defensive end. In his second season, Coach Charles Lee is tasked with turning a disappointing 19- win team into a respectable one. His vision of a fast-paced, high-scoring offense fits well with this roster, but he also needs to instill a defensive identity. The success of this team will largely be a referendum on his ability to make this team greater than the sum of its parts. The Hornets are unlikely to be a team that’s like a top seed and go on a deep playoff run, but a healthier roster and improved depth should make them far more competitive. A reasonable goal is to fight for a spot in the playin tournaments. Likely a eighth or 10th seed range in a very weak Eastern Conference. A projection of 35 to 47 wins. But I think this team can go above 500 is realistic. Obviously, this will be a significant jump from last season and a sign that the franchise is moving in the right direction, but they have a bunch of people that they brought in. So, the key story lines I think that you need to watch is who are they going to be looking at? What is going to be happening and why? So, let’s talk about that. I think depending on how much you believe that this second unit between if Low Ball is healthy and he plays at the level he can, he could be great. Will Spencer Denwy and Mason Pley get traded at some point? Is that like the end goal? Is that what they want to do? I think it’s definitely interesting when you see Charlotte Horn’s team that currently lamel Britain Miller Conan. I think Miles Bridges if they could trade him would be great. I do like that they have Musa Debate, Mason Plumbley and Ryan Caulkrunner. Dejan Saloon is someone that we hope to take a jump. They have Pat Conington, Trey Manley and McNeely, Spencer Denwy. They also brought in Seion James who I thought is a great player. They still have Nick Smith. I do like their three two-ways in KJ Simpson, Antonio Reeves, and Drew Peterson. Daquin Jeff had a good year shooting last year for them. So, he’s someone that they could want to keep around. Now, the thing is this is a team that can only carry 15 players on the roster. Technically 18 if you count the three two-ways. Currently, they are at 18 players excluding the two-ways. So they’re going to have to cut three guys. Musa Debbate and Daquin Jeff are their non-g guaranteed contracts. So they could move off of them without any dead money. Diabate saying cuz then they would lose a big man and then they would only have Grant Williams, Mason Pler. I could see Daquin Jeff getting traded or dumped. Same thing with Nick Smith and same thing with Pat Conington. I think all three of those teams would be in a position to to do that because of what there is. Now, this is a team that their salaries at $180 million. $776,000. I guess I said that word. 180 million, $776,48. Now, being at that point gives them a little under or a little over $7 million in wiggle room from the tax line. And they have 15 million from the first apron. They still have the bannual exception of 5.1 million. Their only long-term salaries are LaMelo Ball and Grant Williams. And they have assets like they got that Suns pick. So to me, there’s things to look on. And I think one of the interesting things is that their offense needs to improve from bottom tier into the middle of the pack. Same thing with their defense. They need the rookies to show flashes. And I think they could, like we said, they could fight for that playin spot. So as you look at this, they’re a team that is going to be able to do things. So, I want to hear your predictions and thoughts on the Hornets upcoming season. That’s it.
The Charlotte Hornets enter the 2025-26 season with renewed optimism but plenty of questions. The roster is now centered on LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, with added depth following the trade for Collin Sexton. Charlotte also moved on from Mark Williams, sending him to Phoenix in exchange for draft capital and size upgrades.
The Hornets’ young core is intriguing, but durability and consistency remain the big storylines. Can LaMelo stay healthy and reclaim his All-Star form? Will Brandon Miller take the next step toward stardom? And how much impact can Sexton have in reshaping the backcourt?
Expect Charlotte to show flashes of competitiveness in the East, but their playoff hopes hinge on player development and overall health.
Catch my full 2025-26 season preview and predictions for the Hornets.
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