Charlotte Hornets: Eastern Conference power rankings post-free agency

With the conclusion of the NBA Draft and the bulk of free agency behind us, the Charlotte Hornets and the rest of the NBA can start to see how their roster will look when they tip-off for the first time.

Charlotte has had a busy offseason. During the NBA draft, the Hornets brought in James Bouknight, Kai Jones, JT Thor, and Scottie Lewis. The Hornets also traded up 20 spots in the second round and acquired center Mason Plumlee from the Detriot Pistons. Charlotte then let Malik Monk leave in free agency and lost Devonte’ Graham via sign-and-trade where the Hornets got Wesley Iwundu in return along with a 2022 lottery-protected first-round pick. Finally, Charlotte signed Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ish Smith to help round out the roster and add a veteran presence to the team.

Fan opinion is all over the place on whether or not Charlotte improved or got worse this offseason but either way, every move Charlotte made was made with the bigger picture in mind, long-term success.

Charlotte wasn’t the only team looking to get better this offseason. Let’s take a look at the power rankings of the Eastern Conference to see where Charlotte ranks after an eventful offseason.