Three straight DNPs — that’s what Tre Mann’s game log has shown. It has become clear that he has lost the trust of the Charlotte Hornets’ coaching staff. And if he can’t regain it, then his time with the franchise may already be all but over.
Mann’s last appearance was a four-minute cameo in the Hornets’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks before the turn of the year. He couldn’t crack the rotation in their close losses to the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks before failing to get his name called during their 112-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Interestingly, Liam McNeeley even received some playing time in each of those three games despite not logging a single point. At least the rookie was able to contribute in other ways, including rebounding, defense, and connective passing. The same cannot be said about Mann in his most recent appearances this season.
Is the Hornets’ offseason mistake coming back to haunt them?
Perhaps the Hornets are wondering if they made a blunder last summer by re-signing Mann on a three-year, $24 million deal (the third year is a team option). In their defense, no one, or probably only a few, expected his fall from grace to be this dire. As many fans might remember, he had generated some Sixth Man of the Year buzz before a mysterious back injury stopped short his 2024-25 campaign.
It’s not like it’s easy for Charlotte to correct its mistake, if it indeed views the Mann decision as such. There might not be a pathway to trading him, as his value appears to be at its lowest. Releasing him at the moment also doesn’t make much sense, particularly from a financial standpoint, unless it needs to open a roster spot for an incoming player.
So, the Hornets may be stuck with the combo guard. Another way to look at it, though, is that Mann should view the downtime as an opportunity to hone his craft and prove worthy again of reentering the rotation. They could still use the offensive proficiency he had shown in the past, especially since points are still hard to come by on some nights.
What if he can’t offer a positive response to the benching? The Hornets may have no other choice but to move on from him. With the franchise looking to finally transition from rebuilding to contending, it needs every player on the roster to be a contributor one way or another.