After years of misfires, injuries and makeshift rotations, the Charlotte Hornets enter the season with something they have not had in a while: a team that makes sense. Following a productive offseason and a culture-setting Summer League championship, the Hornets will open training camp in late September with renewed clarity and a coherent plan.

There are still rotation battles to sort out, roster decisions to make and questions in the frontcourt, but for once, Charlotte is not scrambling for answers. The Hornets are building—deliberately, steadily and in the right direction.

Starved to stacked

If nothing else, the Hornets have finally addressed arguably the biggest flaw of last year’s team: a lack of offensive initiation. Star guard LaMelo Ball returns healthy, and the addition of guard Collin Sexton gives Charlotte another north-south scorer with a relentless motor.

Guards Tre Mann, Spencer Dinwiddie, Josh Green and second-year player KJ Simpson round out a backcourt that suddenly has no shortage of ball-handlers and playmakers.

The key question entering camp is who will start alongside Ball: Sexton or rookie guard Kon Knueppel. If Knueppel plays anything like he did in Summer League, it will be difficult for Head Coach Charles Lee to keep him out of the starting five.

If Lee feels Knueppel is not quite ready to start out of the gate, Sexton would complement Ball well in the backcourt—but ideally, he thrives as a dynamic sixth man and the kind of reserve table-setter the Hornets have lacked for years.

Guard Sion James is likely Greensboro-bound, and guard Nick Smith Jr. remains a trade candidate. It is a logjam, but for once, it is a good problem to have.

Center of attention

The center spot remains Charlotte’s biggest variable. After trading Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns on draft night, the Hornets appear ready to give forward Moussa Diabate a full runway at the five. 

At 6’9″, Diabate does not fit the mold of a traditional NBA big, but his effort and instincts are elite. Among players who appeared in at least 65 games last season, he ranked in the top 20 in defensive rebound percentage and top 10 on the offensive glass.

Veteran Mason Plumlee and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner are expected to compete for the backup center role behind Diabate. Kalkbrenner, a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, brings shot-blocking and size. Plumlee, back on a one-year deal, offers experience but limited upside.

Roster trim incoming

Outside of the positional battles, Charlotte still faces a roster squeeze. With 18 players currently under contract, at least three cuts or moves will be required before opening night.

Green, still recovering from shoulder surgery, is a likely holdover. Guard Pat Connaughton and forward DaQuan Jeffries, however, could be waived or dealt depending on how camp unfolds.

Expect the front office to remain patient. There’s no urgency to force a win-now trade, but if this group finds early chemistry, the Hornets could explore moving future picks to reinforce the frontcourt before the deadline.

Expectations 

The Hornets are not winning a championship this year—no one is pretending otherwise. But President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson has finally given this team a real chance to compete.

With improved guard depth, high-IQ contributors, youthful energy and proven winners added to the mix, Charlotte has a chance this season to play meaningful basketball again.

This will not be a miracle, film-like script where they go from worst to first; instead, it will be compelling progress. For a franchise that has spent years stuck in neutral, that is exactly what this season needs to be.