It’s officially the offseason for the Charlotte Hornets thanks to another historic blowout in the Play-In Tournament. However, things are different this time. The offseason is not so much about answering major questions about roster construction as it is about how to take the next step into contention.
To help analyze how the Hornets will do that, we’ve compiled a look at everything you need to know, ranging from this year’s draft picks to expiring contracts that could be traded or even extended.
Hornets’ Draft Picks
Kon Knueppel shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fourth pick | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Charlotte Hornets own two first-round draft picks, their own and the Orlando Magic’s, thanks to their trade with the Phoenix Suns last year. The 2026 unprotected first was the worst of Phoenix’s and Orlando’s, and that gives the Hornets picks 14 and 18.
The 18th pick is locked in by virtue of the Magic and Suns making the playoffs. The Hornets’ pick, by virtue of the Play-In loss, is a lottery pick, although it’s not a good one. The Hornets have a 0.5% chance of winning the lottery.
Yes, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the world last year, but even they had a 1.8% chance, so they had more than three times the likelihood as Charlotte. The Hornets have a 2.4% chance of getting a top-four pick. The odds are ridiculously high that it’ll end up being the 14th pick.
Salary Cap
The Hornets are in excellent shape this offseason, even if they do decide to extend Brandon Miller. GM Jeff Peterson will probably backload it to keep cap flexibility now, but there’s plenty of room for an increased salary.
The Hornets are projected, per Spotrac, to be $60.6 million below the first apron and $73.6 million below the second apron. The free agent class this year is fairly top-heavy, and they’re not signing LeBron James, but there’s room to do any number of things, potentially including taking on some salary in a big trade.
Free Agents
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) gives an interview after the overtime win | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Hornets are also in pretty solid shape as it pertains to free agents. Coby White is an unrestricted free agent, but Charlotte owns his bird rights as a result of the midseason trade. Jeff Peterson said he envisioned White being in Charlotte for a long time, and with the salary cap situation, the Hornets are highly likely to re-sign.
Pat Connaughton, Xavier Tillman, and Antonio Reeves are the only other free agents on the roster. Connaughton also has a $3.8 million club option. Given how the Hornets used him as a vet mentor, they’ll likely exercise that. Reeves is a two-way/restricted free agent.
Expiring Contracts
Perhaps more importantly, the Hornets have a few expiring contracts. These are important to note, because they can be traded easily. Whether it’s in the summer or by the deadline, the following players could very well be traded or will hit free agency in a year’s time:
Miles Bridges – $25MJosh Green – $13.67MGrant Williams – $13.35MMoussa Diabaté – $1.9M
Brandon Miller will hit restricted free agency, but the Hornets are highly likely to prevent that from happening. However, he is technically an expiring contract. The Hornets have a club option for Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeleyTidjane Salaun, and Tre Mann in 2027 as well.
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