The Charlotte Hornets ended up with an amazing haul following the draft, bringing in a sharpshooter who fits like a glove with the No. 4 pick and three other prospects who can immediately establish key roles with the team. The front office has also tapped into the undrafted free agent market, signing guards Jamiya Neal and Dajuan Harris Jr. to Summer League contracts.
For a while, it looked like the Hornets were content with taking Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner in the draft. Other squads scrambled to sign some of the most promising youngsters who weren't chosen on Thursday. As for Charlotte, it stayed relatively quiet, almost suggesting that it could have some roster moves lined up once trade season is in full swing or the free agency market opens.
However, the organization decided to join the party a little later, enlisting a couple of guards and giving them the opportunity to try out for a roster spot for the 2025-26 campaign.
Hornets get some senior reinforcements
Neal is an interesting recruit, as he played his final year of college eligibility with Kalkbrenner at Creighton University. He started in all 36 of his appearances as a Bluejay and helped the squad reach the NCAA Tournament, where he put up team-highs of 29 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in the first round.
Unfortunately, Neal and Kalkbrenner couldn't lead Creighton past Auburn University in the next round.
The 6-6 guard/forward ended his senior season averaging 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per contest. It's unclear, though, what his role is going to be in the NBA. While he was a productive all-around player at the amateur level, it would be tough for him to do the same in the professional ranks. Perhaps Neal can redefine his game as a 3-and-D piece, as he was an adequate defender in college. However, his 31.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 57.6 percent from the free-throw line suggest that he has a lot of work to do with his jump shot.
Signing Harris Jr. is another indication that the Hornets have steered away from taking project players. The 24-year-old floor general suited up for five years in college at Kansas University. He was the starting point guard for the program's championship run in 2022 and was a Big 12 All-Defensive team selection from 2022 to 2024, winning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year plum in 2023.
The former Jayhawks standout can challenge for a roster spot beyond this summer with Charlotte, who needs a steady backup point guard behind LaMelo Ball. Harris Jr.'s solid playmaking and disruptive defensive abilities might prove useful for the franchise, although his lack of reliable perimeter shooting could work against him.
It remains to be seen if the Hornets are done, but that's unlikely to be the case. Expect the front office to try filling its summer roster with potential undrafted gems or unsigned players in the coming days.