Whether the Charlotte Hornets would like to admit it or not, their future relies on at least one more draft. The good news is that the 2026 class has plenty of promising prospects who can help transform them into winners, including those who can ably play point guard, a position of weakness for the Hornets.
With LaMelo Ball on the roster, the team's point guard rotation should be deemed one of its strengths. Unfortunately, the star has been injured too often. And that has left Charlotte vulnerable to a lack of offensive cohesiveness whenever he sits out games.
The front office has also failed to add reliable backup floor generals. Collin Sexton and Tre Mann have not lived up to expectations at the position. KJ Simpson has still proved too inexperienced to handle full-time playmaking duties.
A silver lining for the Hornets is that they could address their playmaking woes and hopefully increase their chances of racking up more wins than losses in the coming seasons by landing a top point guard prospect in next year's draft.
Plenty of options for Hornets
In FanSided.com's draft big board, five of the top 10 prospects are ball-handlers. Darryn Peterson headlines the list. However, the Hornets' typical misfortune in the draft lottery and possible standing by the end of the 2025-26 campaign could mean that the Kansas University product is gone by the time they are on the clock for the first time in the 2026 draft.
There are still other prime choices for Charlotte, though.
Mikel Brown Jr. looks like a can't-miss candidate for Buzz City, and Labaron Philon appears to be a good fit with the current core.
Kingston Flemings and Bennett Stirtz also have strengths that could benefit the club. The former's downhill game could mesh well with its desire to play at a fast pace, while the latter's passing acumen would allow the likes of Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller to shine on offense.
Drafting a backup or a successor?
What does landing a point guard in the 2026 draft entail for Ball? Does it mean the Hornets have to give him up?
If they do end up going that route in the summer, the prospect they bring in could be Ball's understudy. He could also serve as insurance for the squad if the star continues to struggle with injuries beyond this season. It should have learned by now that not improving its depth at the one is playing with fire.
Another school of thought is that Charlotte should just look for Ball's replacement through the draft. To be fair, there are several qualified talents in next year's class who might be significantly less injury-prone and are better equipped to aid in the Hornets' path toward contention. Also, it seems Knueppel is ready to take over as the face of the franchise, and the assets the team can obtain in a LaMelo Ball trade could help accelerate the rebuild.