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Charlotte Hornets fall to No. 6 overall during 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

Entering in tied for the top odds to secure the No. 1 pick, Charlotte dropped three total spots.

By Evan Sidery

May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields after the Hawks get the
May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields after the Hawks get the / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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On Mother’s Day, the Charlotte Hornets didn’t receive good luck on their side. During the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, Charlotte ended up falling from the No. 3 spot all the way down to No. 6 overall.

With only a three percent chance, the Atlanta Hawks jumped all the way from No. 10 overall to secure the likely rights to draft French big man Alexandre Sarr, who would have been squarely in play as the Hornets’ top option.

Here’s how the lottery results shook out on Sunday afternoon in the Association, and it led to the most movement we’ve seen in years:

No. 1 = Atlanta Hawks

No. 2 = Washington Wizards

No. 3 = Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)

No. 4 = San Antonio Spurs

No. 5 = Detroit Pistons

No. 6 = Charlotte Hornets

No. 7 = Portland Trail Blazers

No. 8 = San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)

No. 9 = Memphis Grizzlies

No. 10 = Utah Jazz

No. 11 = Chicago Bulls

No. 12 = Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston Rockets)

No. 13 = Sacramento Kings

No. 14 = Portland Trail Blazers (via Golden State Warriors)

Now, with Charlotte controlling the draft board completely off the table, how will they pivot to add a key piece to their long-term future? With Sarr likely off the table, as well as another French product in wing Zaccharie Riscacher, the Hornets will be right in range now for a few interesting prospects who fit their roster.

In what many executives around the NBA view as one of the worst draft classes in the past 25 years, Charlotte could still hit a home run based off their own intel and scouting upon this class.

All of the following prospects would make sense in Charlotte, and expect to see the Hornets bring them in for pre-draft workouts over the next month-plus: Donovan Clingan (UConn big), Stephon Castle (UConn guard), Nikola Topic (Serbian guard), Reed Sheppard (Kentucky guard), Rob Dillingham (Kentucky guard), Dalton Knecht (Tennessee wing), Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite wing), Ron Holland (G League Ignite wing).

With the Hornets’ fate officially sealed for an important draft, stay tuned to Swarm & Sting for all-access draft coverage.