The future looks bright for the Charlotte Hornets, although it's hard to share that optimism about their outlook this season. That could mean another year of misery for a franchise and its fans that have long yearned to feel what it's like to be in the playoffs again.
A silver lining is that the front office absolutely crushed it this summer, maximizing the value of its draft picks, among other things. Charlotte may have lost out on Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, but Kon Knueppel is a strong pickup for a No. 4 draft selection. Then, the Hornets shocked plenty of folks around the league when Liam McNeeley fell into their lap at No. 29 before addressing crucial needs with their pair of early second-round picks.
The team's acquisition of Collin Sexton in a deal that also saw it net a future second-rounder for the price of one Jusuf Nurkic similarly deserves high praise. Of course, there have been questionable moves, including signing Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee. But all things considered, the Hornets won the offseason.
Unfortunately, the current roster makeup does not offer assurance that they can keep up with the league's best on most nights this season. Some pundits do not even predict Charlotte turning into a legitimate contender in the 2026-27 campaign.
Who can blame people for being pessimistic when the Hornets would have to rely on still-unproven youngsters? And while Sexton is undoubtedly a strong offensive addition, he has alarmingly yet to play for a winner, having been part of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz squads that either landed at the bottom of the standings or in the middle of the pack.
Compound those realities with the fact that the Hive's best players, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, are coming off injury-riddled campaigns — a disaster could be waiting for Charlotte.
Hornets must stay the course and resist high-risk moves
Despite the possibility of being in a better position for the draft lottery instead of the postseason as the 2025-26 regular season wears on, the Hornets have to continue practicing patience.
Naturally, it would be a welcome development if they shock the NBA world by rising in the standings. However, they should avoid any urge to go off path when things go south quickly in the coming months.
The danger, though, of experiencing a lot more losses than wins anew is Ball ending up frustrated and desiring to play for a more successful squad. Charlotte just has to hope for the best that he is willing to buy into its long-term plan. The good news is that the Hornets have several quality young players, even if they offer more optimism than tangible reasons to believe that the club can contend in the next couple of years.