It's too early to label Tidjane Salaun a bust, especially after the Charlotte Hornets knew he would be a project player upon drafting him sixth overall last year. Even so, he had plenty of opportunities to prove his mettle in his rookie campaign.
Even with the extended playing time, though, Salaun was unable to show he was worth the No. 6 pick. He couldn't even receive a vote for any of the 2025 All-Rookie teams and never made it past the special-mentions list of Bleacher Report's redraft of this season's rookie class.
Moving forward, the question is whether the young Frenchman can push his way up the Hornets' depth chart again. Based on what we've seen from him, it would take more injuries among Charlotte's key players for him to be a part of the rotation again. However, the organization might have to consider looking for ways to give him minutes because that could be a good way to fast-track his development.
Hornets will need to determine if Tidjane Salaun deserves rotation spot next season
The thing is, the Hornets should be looking to make some gains in the wins department after they failed to reach 20 dubs for the first time since the 2011-12 season. They were also reminded that tanking doesn't always pan out well for NBA teams after they dropped to the fourth spot in the draft lottery, and a squad with less than two percent chances of rising to the No. 1 spot won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
To rack up the wins, Charlotte has to bring in roster reinforcements. If it wasn't clear yet, the present makeup of the team just won't cut it.
The first order of business for Buzz City is to determine which rookie prospect to bring in this offseason. The front office will have various options, although the decision will depend on what the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers do before its turn to make a selection.
Among the players the Hornets would be choosing from are likely VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, and Tre Johnson. A dark-horse candidate might emerge later on. But whoever the selection would be, minutes will be hard to come by for Salaun because the incoming rookie is probably going to be a more NBA-ready player.
Moreover, Charlotte would likely have to mull over adding more pieces through the trade market or free agency. That possibility and the fact that some guys currently on the roster are returning from their respective injuries, there just might not be enough minutes to allocate for Salaun. So, there is a real chance that the Hornets faithful won't see much of the incoming sophomore in the 2025-26 campaign.