Where Hornets Stack Up in Eastern Conference After Busy Offseason

The Charlotte Hornets made a ton of changes this offseason, retooling their roster around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. 

The Hornets made a blockbuster trade, sending All-Star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft capital. Charlotte also moved on from Miles Bridges for veterans Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and a future first-round pick.

The Hornets picked up another veteran in guard, Dennis Schroder, in a trade, while also adding talent in the draft with Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.

Despite all of the changes, Charlotte still has a talented roster and could be a competitive team in the 2026-27 season.

They will be led by Knueppel, who was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award last season. The 21-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting an efficient 47.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three. With Ball traded, Knueppel will step in as the leading scorer for the team.

His co-star will be Miller, who is entering his fourth season in the league. The 23-year-old forward played at a high level in the 2025-26 season, averaging 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a block per game, shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from behind the arc.

With the star duo of Knueppel and Miller on the wing with a mix of other young talent and veterans, the Hornets should be in the mix to make a Play-In Tournament run for the second straight season. 

However, Charlotte is not in the tier of a team like the reigning-champion New York Knicks.

Other teams in the East also upgraded their rosters significantly to contend for the title, like the Miami Heat adding Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulling off a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, and the Toronto Raptors adding Kawhi Leonard (pending the NBA's investigation into the Clippers).

With those teams, it's highly unlikely the Hornets will make the playoffs unless they do so through the Play-In Tournament.