The Charlotte Hornets entered the 2025 All-Star break in a familiar position. A playoff appearance remains a pipe dream, as the team has experienced the worst-case scenario we laid out before the start of the regular season.
Injuries have ravaged the squad, with a few players sustaining season-ending injuries and key players needing to miss a significant number of games. LaMelo Ball has sat out so many contests that he is already ineligible for major end-of-season awards.
An interesting turn of events took place for the Hornets at the trade deadline, though, as they became public enemy No. 1 in Hollywood after their deal with the Los Angeles Lakers was nixed following the Lakers' failed physical assessment of Mark Williams. The drama isn't over yet, as Charlotte has a few reasons to dispute the decision. The organization has already gone to the league office and will likely have to wait until the end of the All-Star break to see what will come out of it.
Hornets fans certainly deserve credit for continuing to support the franchise despite what has been happening on and outside the court. The good news is that there have been some positive developments for the team and that there are reasons to be optimistic about its future.
Hornets All-Star Break Primer
- How Hornets have fared against the competition
- Hornets' 2025 Draft Lottery odds
- Injury updates for Hornets players
- Hornets' remaining strength of schedule
- What to expect of the Hornets in the following months
How Hornets have fared against the competition
Charlotte looked like it would be a middle-of-the-pack squad earlier in the 2024-25 campaign, racing to a 4-5 record, good for the No. 4 seed in the East during the first week of November. It was all downhill from there, though. It continued to rack up the losses, causing a fall to the 14th spot in the conference, ahead only of the 9-45 Washington Wizards.
Two Western Conference squads, the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans, have also fared worse in the standings, although not by that much.
Hornets record at the break: 13-39 (Home: 9-20; Away: 4-19)
Offense has been an obvious weakness for Buzz City. The team ranks 28th in average scoring (106.3 points per game) and offensive rating (108.5). It needs help in the playmaking and shot-creation departments, placing just 26th in average assists (23.9 dimes per contest) and dead last in field-goal percentage (43.0 percent).
On the bright side, Charlotte's defense and rebounding have appeared promising. It has held opponents to 111.8 points per match, 10th in the league, and has grabbed 45.7 boards per game, with only the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets averaging more.
The Hornets can build off these strengths as they build toward the future.
Hornets' 2025 Draft Lottery odds
As consolation for the franchise, reinforcement is potentially coming through the 2025 draft. Thanks to its lowly record, it doesn't have to convey a first-round pick to the Sacramento Kings this summer because of its lottery protection. It's almost certain that the Hornets would instead ship their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
The question now is, what are Charlotte's chances of landing the No. 1 draft pick in the draft this summer?
Hornets' odds of going first in the 2025 draft: 12.5 percent
Because it is currently 27th in the standings, the Hive's odds of winning the draft lottery are slightly lower than those of the Wizards, Pelicans, and Jazz. There's not much incentive for Charlotte to try to be worse than any of those three, as it would only give them 1.5 percentage points better of securing the first overall selection.
If the Hornets maintain their 27th place by the end of the regular season, the lowest draft pick they would get is the No. 8 selection.
Injury updates for Hornets players
Watching Charlotte has sometimes been tough because of the lack of healthy bodies. Folks have even poked fun at the situation by saying that the Hornets have fielded what looks like a G League crew in some of its recent games.
Below is a list of the players currently dealing with injuries.
Grant Williams: Out for the rest of the season due to several tears in his right knee
Brandon Miller: Out for the rest of the season due to a torn ligament in his right wrist
Tre Mann: Out indefinitely (likely for the rest of the season) due to disc irritation
Josh Okogie: Out until at least Mar. 1 due to left hamstring strain
LaMelo Ball: Day-to-day due to right ankle soreness
Moussa Diabate: Day-to-day due to right eye abrasion
Mark Williams: Status remains up in the air due to the rescinded trade
Other players, such as Seth Curry and Josh Green, have also had to be sidelined recently because of various ailments. So, perhaps the Hornets should start looking for players without extensive injury histories this offseason.
Hornets' remaining strength of schedule
Charlotte fans are divided on whether they want the team to notch more wins or losses in the coming months. Depending on one's perspective, it's either good news or bad news that the Hornets have a relatively tough remaining strength of schedule based on the combined winning percentage of their following opponents.
Hornets' SOS: .506 (12th in the league)
Some of the strongest foes Charlotte still has to face include the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics (twice), New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Denver Nuggets. So, if Buzz City decides to tank, the odds might be in its favor.
On the other hand, the Jazz and Pelicans have a higher SOS. Interestingly, Washington has the second-easiest schedule post-All-Star break. Still, it's hard to imagine it trying its best to win games in the following weeks.
What to expect of the Hornets in the following months
Charlotte's decision to move on from Mark Williams at the trade deadline demonstrated the organization's priority to stockpile future assets, even at the expense of giving up who was supposed to be a potential cornerstone and someone who could have helped it notch as many wins as possible.
In all likelihood, the mandate to (unofficially) tank stays the same. So, we might see Ball and Mark Williams continue to spend time on the sidelines and focus on recovering from their injuries after the All-Star weekend. A huge concern, though, is whether the young big man is willing to look past the fact that the Hornets were willing to part ways with him.
There is a chance that Mark Williams might be dealt again in the offseason. Fans also shouldn't be surprised if Ball is likewise placed on the trading block in the summer, especially if the top brass decides it's in the franchise's best interest to build the roster around a different foundation.
So, a lot may be hanging on how Charlotte performs after the All-Star break.