The Charlotte Hornets entered the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery with the second‑best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick. When the final two envelopes were revealed, everything hinged on one moment—one ping‑pong ball that could have delivered Victor Wembanyama to Charlotte. Instead, the Hornets watched the Spurs claim the generational prospect, and with it, an entirely different future where contention is out of reach.
San Antonio is now building around their once‑in‑a‑lifetime superstar and heading to the NBA Finals in his third season. Meanwhile, Charlotte is still just attempting to get to the postseason, carrying the league’s longest active playoff drought at 10 straight years.
It forces fans to stare directly into an alternate timeline: one where Wembanyama wears purple and teal, one where the franchise’s trajectory looks drastically different.
The superstar Charlotte never got to build around
The Hornets closed the 2022-23 season with just 27 wins, a low point that followed James Borrego’s firing after a 43‑win campaign. LaMelo Ball’s recurring ankle injuries only added to the uncertainty surrounding the team’s long‑term direction.
Then came the draft lottery. Charlotte hoped to win the Wembanyama sweepstakes, but the basketball gods had other plans. The Spurs walked away with the No. 1 pick, and the Hornets selected Brandon Miller at No. 2.
This isn’t a knock on Miller—he easily could’ve been the top pick if Wemby wasn’t there. But with Miller battling nagging injuries and set to miss now two straight healthy offseasons, it’s impossible not to look at San Antonio and feel something.
The Spurs now boast a future big three of Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. After knocking off the reigning champs in the Western Conference Finals, they look like a true dynasty.
And that’s exactly why Charlotte must find someone capable of slowing Wembanyama down. If the Hornets ever reach the Finals, odds are he’ll be waiting there for them.
The Hornets can’t rewrite the past, but they can redefine their future
Imagine a Ball‑Knueppel‑Wembanyama trio. It would’ve been must‑watch television. Hornets fans were one ping‑pong ball away from that reality.
For Charlotte fans, it often feels like a string of unfortunate events. Think back to 2012—if the Hornets had landed Anthony Davis instead of Michael Kidd‑Gilchrist, the entire franchise history changes.
They can’t undo the lottery. They can’t reclaim the superstar who slipped through their fingers. But they can build a contender without him, as many other teams have done.
The Hornets just wrapped up a phenomenal season, even without breaking the playoff drought. With a promising young core with the addition of Knueppel, a stockpile of draft picks, and a second-year head coach who has exceeded expectations, Charlotte finally feels like a franchise on stable ground.
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