It's been a more than solid offseason for the Charlotte Hornets to this point. Upgrades were needed, and management went out and crushed it in terms of upgrading this roster. In fact, the Hornets' moves have been so excellent that even long-time respected NBA analyst Bill Simmons felt inclined to shout them out on his latest podcast episode.
"I really like all the stuff Charlotte did," Simmons said. "Just these really slight upgrade deals ... Nothing major ... But it just seems like the boat's rowing in the right direction, finally, for them."
Now, Simmons is far from a Charlotte fan. In fact, he's frequently been pretty critical of the organization in the past. So that gives his words here that much more credence. Everyone that's paying attention is starting to see it: the Hornets are serious about taking steps in the direction of creating a long-term winner.
Most if not all of their moves this offseason have been received well by the fanbase, and that's not something you would be able to say in most years. But truly, there's something special being built in Charlotte right now.
Simmons is a fan of Peterson's moves
Jeff Peterson made it clear from the outset of the 2025 offseason that he wasn't going to sit by idly while other squads improved. Especially not considering the current landscape of the Eastern Conference. With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton both set to miss most if not all of 2025-26, there's a huge opportunity available.
As Simmons stated, the Hornets have worked methodically and almost surgically in slowly improving this roster. Depth was obviously a massive issue the last three seasons as injuries piled up, and this team now has a wealth of talent, especially at the guard position.
Getting four rock-solid rookies in the draft two weeks ago was step number one, and the fact that they've all been signed to standard NBA deals instead of two-way contracts says a lot about the front office's belief in them. These are going to be players that are around for a long time, at least in theory.
Then, Charlotte's free agent moves have been congruent with the needs of this roster as well. Collin Sexton will bring a veteran scoring mindset to the starting lineup, bringing back Tre Mann ensures the bench retains dynamic offensive ability, and Mason Plumlee brings some depth to the center rotation as well. Not to mention it doesn't seem like Peterson is done wheeling and dealing either.
All things considered, the approach from the Hornets so far this summer has felt like a refresh and a big switch flip from the strategies used by past regimes. This team is in a great position to level up in 2025-26.