The Charlotte Hornets completed a trade on Friday that brought Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder to Charlotte in exchange for Tre Mann.

Schroder, who will turn 33 in September, has previous ties to each of Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson, and projects to be the Hornets’ backup point guard this coming season.

But what does he bring? And what are the long-term implications of this trade?

I dove into all of that, and more.

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The Hornets had quite the offseason, trading their star player away, adding two first-round rookies, and making a plethora of more moves.

I wanted to go back and sequentially grade everything that went down.

While it’s impossible to grade the ‘results’ of this offseason, it is possible to grade the process of Hornets GM Jeff Peterson and how each of these moves could work towards building their stated goal of a sustained winner.

Let’s dive in.

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It was an eventful weekend throughout the NBA, with LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers over the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and more.

Despite being the home of Bojangles, one of James’ favorite restaurants, Charlotte was unable to secure his services.

More seriously, I wanted to dive into how the James/76ers pairing affects the Hornets, along with breaking down a rumor from this past weekend regarding Warriors owner Joe Lacob wanting to build the Warriors around the post-Steph Curry era, and whether Charlotte could get in on a potential Curry sweepstakes.

All of that, and more, below.

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The NBA offseason is coming to a close (minus the LeBron decision), and I wanted to give some thoughts on what I think the Hornets’ rotation this season will look like, who’s the odd man looking out from Charlotte’s roster crunch, and more.

It doesn’t feel as though the Hornets’ offseason is complete. It still seems as though there’s one more missing piece of the puzzle.

Let’s sort through it all.

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The NBA’s annual Las Vegas Summer League concludes this weekend after a week’s worth of games, and the Hornets officially wrapped up their slate of games after their final contest against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

I dove into each notable player that the Charlotte Hornets had at Summer League, and graded their performance over the five-game sample.

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Hannes Steinbach had one of the more memorable performances in recent Hornets Summer League history, finishing Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists.

He was excellent offensively, finishing plays, showing unique touch around the rim, and, of course, rebounding the ball at an elite level.

I haven’t really seen a satisfying deep dive on Steinbach’s game and what he could become at the NBA level, so I wrote many of my thoughts down here.

The Charlotte Hornets have had quite an eventful offseason. They traded their star point guard, drafted two players in the top-20, and have a fairly significant roster difference as compared to just a few months ago.

While the dust has mostly settled around the NBA (with the exception of LeBron James’ pending free agency decision), there are still a few questions remaining for this offseason.

I took a look at Charlotte’s roster crunch, Liam McNeeley and his pathway to minutes, the backup point guard slot, and Brandon Miller’s looming extension.

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Today I launched my latest interactive game - this one being about Hornets Trivia!

It is intentionally difficult, featuring a Hornets-based connections game, a timeline game, and Sporcle style naming trivia.

I’ve got some incentive for you to try it, as well.

If you get every question correct, there’s an exclusive offer link the game will provide for a free month of a SportCLT paid subscription!

How To Play

Just click here to access Hornets Trivia

The Charlotte Hornets dropped their second Summer League game to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday after an uninspiring second half.

I dove into some takeaways from that game, Jeff Peterson’s press conference post-LaMelo Ball trade, and some thoughts (as well as an intel nugget) on where I think this Hornets offseason goes from here.

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The Charlotte Hornets took on the Orlando Magic in the Vegas Summer League, winning in fairly convincing fashion, 86-74.

After a 13-point first quarter, Charlotte battled back for a double-digit win.

I’ve got PLENTY of thoughts on this one.

We’ll start with Liam McNeeley.

The Hornets’ best player on Thursday night was by far Liam McNeeley. He was, for my money, a league above everyone else on the court. He looked in control, was very fluid in his handle, and obviously was hitting shots at a level no one else on the floor could compete with.

McNeeley finished with 28 points on 7-8 from three, along with two rebounds and four assists.

I went into Summer League anticipating McNeeley the most of the non-rookies. He impressed in Vegas last summer and we didn’t see much of him in Charlotte last season.

But McNeeley really did look “too good” for Summer League. I can’t rule out McNeeley getting real minutes this year.

The Sion James point guard minutes were… not great.

So I understand the desire to have Sion James grow as a ball-handler. He probably needs at least somewhat of a handle if he wants to be a playoff-level rotational piece.

But man, it was SO BAD in game one of Summer League. James’ handle wasn’t tight, he made poor reads consistently, and he dribbled himself into bad situations often.

I’m not saying it’s something he shouldn’t work on, but I fear that having James run the offense as much as he did in the remainder of Summer League ultimately takes away from the reps other players could be getting - not just as a ball-hander but as play finishers.

James’ performance probably looks better if he hit a few more shots (he was 2-10 from the field), but the offense was in a significantly worse place when James was the initiator.

We’ll see if this is just a blip, but there was a clear discomfort visible to me. It’s a little bit surprising after Mueller talked up James’ ball-handling.

Ryan Kalkbrenner was pretty up-and-down.

The other day, when I saw that Ryan Kalkbrenner had apparently gained 20 pounds, I honestly wasn’t sure if it was the great thing everyone seemed to think it was.

Kalkbrenner is already fairly immobile as a center, so I was kind of concerned more weight would take away from the little athleticism he did have.

And in the first half, Kalkbrenner looked uncomfortable. He’d missed multiple close-range shots, had gotten bullied on a post-up by Magic forward Noah Penda, and was taken advantage of defensively on multiple occasions.

Not exactly the kind of start you want to see from a center that was getting real rotational minutes for the Hornets last season.

He got it together quickly though. The second half was significantly better. He was more active defensively, went up with more confidence on his finishes, and overall looked much more in control.

Let’s talk about the rookies.

I want to start this with Christian Anderson, who had a decent game overall. He shot only 2-11 from the field, but I think there was much more to his game than that.

My biggest point of contention with the Anderson pick in the moment he was drafted is that I wasn’t sure he’d work defensively in the NBA. After one (1) game in the Summer League, I came away more impressed than expected on that end. He leverages his 6-foot-6 wingspan well, forced multiple pickups from perimeter players, and fought over screens with a high success rate.

I actually came away with a few more questions offensively, though. Anderson never quite looked as in control as I was hoping he would. When faced with pressure, I thought he made some fairly questionable decisions. He struggled when facing the full-court press, and I don’t think he ever really created the separation I was hoping as a ball-handler. It just felt like the margins for him to win on offense were very slim.

(It was also very funny to me that Stan van Gundy, the color commentator for the game, thought he wasn’t a point guard.)

Hannes Steinbach, on the other hand, I thought was really good. He did all the little things - rebounded very well, attacked closeouts, had some really nice playmaking flashes out of the post.

Early on, I thought Steinbach struggled to adjust to the physicality of Summer League, but he settled in really well.

I still want to see Steinbach try at shoot it at some point this Summer, but I came away very encouraged with how much it looked like Steinbach belonged on the court. I thought he was by far Charlotte’s most impactful big man, and my favorite play was his pick-and-roll rep with Christian Anderson which he used his length to create separation for an inside bucket.

Steinbach finished with a fairly quiet 15 points and 11 rebounds, and I’m super excited to see how he grows with the next few games. He was probably the brightest spot for me tonight - outside of McNeeley.

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Coby White has re-signed with the Charlotte Hornets on a three-year deal worth $74 million. He will go into the 2026 season as the team’s starter at point guard after LaMelo Ball was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that included Naz Reid.

White was incredibly impressive in his limited minutes for the Hornets last season. In just 19 minutes per game, he averaged 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 46% shooting from the field and 39% from three.

White is obviously a good player, but I can’t say many expected him to go into the season as Charlotte’s starting point guard. I don’t know that he’s been properly evaluated in that light yet, despite getting a contract figure ($24M AAV) that certainly indicates his value as such.

I wanted to dive into White’s game, just how good he is (and can become), and pose a simple question: Is Charlotte’s ceiling at point guard capped with White locked into the starting spot?

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Watch us live as Owen Watterson and Dylan Jackson watch the 2001-02 Charlotte Hornets take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the newest iteration of “Hornets Rewind!”

The series hosted by the Hornets Historian himself, Owen Watterson, where he takes us back to the 90s to check out full-length retro Hornets games.

This series is exclusive to SportCLT, and you can’t find these games anywhere else on the internet.

“Hornets Rewind” will take place a few times per month, and each game is hand-picked by Owen from his archive of full-length 80s/90s Hornets games. Today’s stream will be showing the what many consider the “final great game” of the old Hornets franchise prior to their move to New Orleans.

The live stream will take place today, July 7th, at 8 PM ET. Please read below for the full details on how to watch.

How to Watch

The “Watch-a-Long” series is normally exclusive to SportCLT’s paid subscribers, but in this one-time-only iteration, we’re making it free for everyone to watch live. It will be streamed on SportCLT’s Twitter (@sportCLT) and website (sportclt.com, which is where you’re reading this).

FLASH SALE: We’re offering 50% off of our annual subscription to celebrate Hornets Rewind’s only free, public episode. Hit subscribe above and become a paid subscriber, your annual subscription will have the discount applied.

Getting access to full games from that era isn’t free, so consider becoming a paid subscriber for future Hornets Rewind streams. The “Hornets Rewind” watch-a-longs take place AFTER today will happen on the SportCLT discord server, “ClubCLT”.

To get access to ClubCLT, become a paid subscriber to SportCLT, and the invitation link will be sent to your email.

Own a Charlotte-area business and interested in sponsoring SportCLT content (posts, podcasts, or interactive guides/games)? Become a partner today by filling out our form, linked here.

The Charlotte Hornets are going to go into Summer League looking to defend their 2025 championship. It’s a much different roster this time around, mainly in that there is no 4th overall pick Kon Knueppel to shoulder the offensive load.

But there is still a ton of talent on the team, including two top-20 picks in Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson.

I dove into every single player on the Hornets Summer League roster, what to expect from them, and what their roster outlook looks to be moving forward.

Thoughts On Every Hornets’ Summer League Player

The Guys You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Every year, there are players on each team’s Summer League roster that don’t get a ton of recognition. Most of the eyes are pointed towards first- and second-round picks (and rightfully so).

But I wanted to give a quick breakdown on each of the players on the Hornets SL team you probably haven’t heard of.

Terrell Brown Jr.

28 years old | Guard | 6-3, 180 | Washington

Terrell Brown has spent the past three seasons in Greensboro with the Swarm. He’s the oldest player on the Summer League team by at least three years, but I have to imagine the reason he’s in Vegas with the Hornets is because he’s a veteran playmaker.

This past season, Brown averaged more than six assists per game in 36 appearances for the Swarm. We’ve seen what it looks like when a Summer League team doesn’t have a table-setting point guard, so Brown’s presence is probably a preventative measure.

Josiah Allick

25 years old | Big | 6-8, 240 | Nebraska

Josiah Allick is another name representing the Greensboro Swarm. This past season he averaged seven points and six rebounds playing center. More interestingly with Allick is his three-point shooting ability (or, at least, the possibility of it).

We know that bigs that can shoot intrigue the Hornets front office (look at Kalkbrenner, Naz Reid, and Hannes Steinbach), and Allick has been unafraid to shoot it from deep throughout his college and G-League career.

Cameron Matthews

24 years old | Forward | 6-7, 235 | MS State

Cameron Matthews spent five years at Mississippi State before playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G-League this past season. He’s got a pro-ready frame and is a willing shooter, despite the efficiency never quite being there.

More interestingly with Matthews is his defense, though. His ability to be a rugged, point-of-attack defender is what garnered him draft consideration in 2025, and that is likely to be his role on this SL team.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

24 years old | Guard | 6-3, 195 | Alabama

Latrell Wrightsell played (checks notes) SIX seasons of college basketball before making the professional jump this year. The first three of those were at Cal State Fullerton, the final three were at Alabama.

This past year for the Crimson Tide, Wrightsell averaged 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists per game, and is a career 38-percent 3-point shooter.

Wrightsell’s archetype is a difficult one to place into the NBA: he’s mostly a volume scorer without a ton of playmaking or defensive juice. He could definitely be a contributor for this Hornets G-League team as a depth scorer.

Max Mackinnon

22 years old | Guard | 6-6, 195 | LSU/Australia

Mackinnon is by far the most interesting players in this section, to me. He’s younger, has a bit more size than the other guards/wings here, and can really shoot the ball at a high clip.

Over his final two years in college, Mackinnon averaged more than 15 points per game on 44/39/88 splits. Those are elite shooting metrics. He’s also capable of driving at times, but for the most part will be a fairly stationary player.

He’s also just really far behind the crowd from an athletic standpoint, which results in him getting picked on defensively.

Wyatt Fricks

23 years old | Forward | 6-9, 215 | Marshall

Wyatt Fricks is another guy with length and previous productivity, though he was a late-breakout at Marshall this past season. He averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game this past year on a whopping 55% from the field and 35% from three.

Fricks’ biggest obstacle towards earning an NBA contract is the lack of physicality and how it affects his ability to defend front court players. His frame is mostly filled out at 215 pounds, so I question whether this is an aspect where he can grow.

The 2-Way Guys

The Hornets agreed to two-way contracts with each of Michael Ajayi and Kylan Boswell following the 2026 NBA Draft. They join PJ Hall as two-way players. Hall, per Owen Watterson, will travel with the team to Vegas but won’t play in any games due to injury.

But due to the nature of being on a two-way deal, each of Ajayi and Boswell do have some expectations in the Vegas Summer League.

Michael Ajayi

23 years old | Forward | 6-7, 228 | Butler

The biggest thing that stands out with Michael Ajayi’s game is his processing. He’s a lightning-quick decision-maker and someone that is constantly making the correct play. He’s an elite rebounder for his size and consistently gives effort on the defensive end.

There are two main questions with his game, though:

1. Can he shoot the ball? Ajayi almost certainly will have to improve his 3-point efficiency if he wants to earn a real NBA contract.

2. Is he big enough to play the role he did at Butler? Ajayi was more of a big than a forward at Butler this past season. You can get away with that at his size in the Big East, but he struggled most in games against bigger teams like UConn.

Still, I really like the bet. I’m always willing to take a chance on players that have forward size and high-feel.

Kylan Boswell

21 years old | Guard | 6-1, 226 | Illinois

Kylan Boswell was a three-year starter at Illinois, and his best attribute is by far his on-ball and point-of-attack defense. The first thing that pops of the screen with Boswell is his 6-1, thickly-built 226 pound frame.

Boswell wasn’t a primary initiator for Illinois this past season (thanks to the emergence of Keaton Wagler), but he’s certainly a capable playmaker. My biggest concern with Boswell, though, is if he’s ever going to be capable enough as a 3-point shooter to become a real NBA contributor. He showed good enough touch at the college level, but shot 27% from three over his final two seasons.

With defense as his calling card, I also think Boswell might struggle athletically matching up with quicker point guards.

I think it will be interesting to see how he performs against Summer League competition, and I don’t hate the bet taken here.

The Returners

Ryan Kalkbrenner & Sion James

Kalkbrenner: 24 years old | Big | 7-1, 256 | Creighton

James: 23 years old | Guard | 6-5, 220 | Duke

I’m grouping Kalkbrenner and James together here because frankly, I don’t know how much run they’re actually going to get in Summer League. It would surprise me if they appeared in more than one game, honestly.

Both James and Kalkbrenner have proven themselves as NBA contributors, but I think having them in Vegas could help with the professionalism side of things for the newer, younger players.

If James and Kalkbrenner do play, the things I’d watch for is James getting lead ball-handling reps, and if they allow Kalkbrenner to actually shoot the ball from deep.

Tidjane Salaun

20 years old | Forward | 6-10, 207 | France

We’re entering year three for Tidjane Salaun, and he’s still only 20 years old. I don’t think there’s a bigger mystery on the Hornets’ roster than Salaun, who I still hold some stock in.

This past year, Salaun appeared in 37 games for the Hornets, but also moonlighted for the Swarm in their playoff run to a G-League championship. In five playoff games for the Swarm, Salaun averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds.

I think Salaun is likely to be one of the players plays in each Summer League game, and I’m interested to see the progress on how consistent his jump shot form is, as well as if he seems to be more in control of his athleticism.

Even in his appearances for the Hornets this past season, Salaun seemed very, very raw (which is okay for a 20-year old), but if he does not show much progress in the Summer League, there will be questions about whether the Hornets opt to exercise his 4th-year option.

Liam McNeeley

20 years old | Forward | 6-7, 210 | Connecticut

Liam McNeeley the most interesting non-rookie to watch at the Summer League, to me. I think there’s an outside chance he could play his way into the rotation, and I think Charlotte will be interested to see what they have in Liam in regular season NBA minutes.

This past year for the Swarm (18 games), McNeeley averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game on shooting splits of 46/33/79. In the G-League playoffs, McNeeley’s 3-point efficiency rose to 38% on seven attempts per game.

I’m penciling McNeeley in as an every-game starter for this Summer League team, I think he’s the player you want to see the most from.

One of the traits McNeeley was able to show a bit of at UConn and this past year for the Swarm was his on-ball creation. At 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, if he genuinely is able to use that skill at the NBA level (in combination with his shooting ability), I think that makes him a very valuable role player moving forward.

McNeeley impressed in the Vegas setting last summer, so I’m expecting more of the same (hopefully even better).

The First-Round Picks

The moment you’ve been waiting for…. How will the two top-20 picks perform in Vegas Summer League?

Hannes Steinbach

20 years old | Big | 6-10, 248 | Washington/Germany

I think Hannes Steinbach will really flash in the Summer League. His game was built on the ability to score inside and rebound at an elite clip. He was able to fill the stat sheet consistently at Washington this past year without much help, and he’ll have a lot more playmaking help (particularly from Anderson) in Vegas this summer.

Steinbach is also a high-end athlete, the type that is usually able to get some flashy blocks in the Vegas setting.

If the Hornets want to win another Summer League championship (let’s be honest, we REALLY want it), Steinbach will have to be a primary reason why - especially if you anticipate Ryan Kalkbrenner only playing a game or two (I am looking forward to some limited Kalkbrenner/Steinbach minutes, if we get them).

Christian Anderson

20 years old | Guard | 6-1, 180 | Texas Tech/Germany

There are going to be many, many more eyes on Christian Anderson than originally anticipated following the Hornets’ trade of LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Right now he’s slotted to be the team’s backup point guard, and there honestly aren’t any other options that get you excited. Sion James got some minutes there last year, but the playmaking reps were ROUGH, and I think the Tre Mann ship has sailed, at this point.

Anderson’s game, like Steinbach’s, is one that I think should translate well to the Summer League setting. He’s a pick-and-roll maestro and elite shooter. If you see a simplified offense (be honest, you will) rolled out, Anderson’s skill set should work well even with limited practice and game reps.

Additionally, you have the pre-build chemistry from Anderson and Steinbach from when the two played with Germany at the U19 World Cup last summer. Both players averaged over 17 points per game, and Anderson had 6.6 assists per game in addition to the scoring.

They were Germany’s best players on the way to a 2nd place finish (only behind Team USA which rostered AJ Dybantsa, Mikel Brown, Koa Peat, Morez Johnson, Tyran Stokes, and Jordan Smith).

All of that is to say this: I think Anderson and Steinbach will impress in Summer League. There’s proof of concept, prior chemistry, and a bunch of players on the SL roster that should be able to support their respective skill sets.

The Charlotte Hornets are going to be giving Brandon Miller an extension… at some point. He’s currently extension-eligible coming off of this third NBA season.

Miller looks the part of a franchise cornerstone. 6-foot-8 wings that score 20 point per game do not grow on trees, and while he’s certainly a valuable player, he also has yet to make an All-Star game or get All-NBA consideration.

That makes projecting his contract extension much more difficult.

Most project Miller to make between $35-39M annually on his contract extension.

However, there’s a situation developing in the NBA that I think the Hornets are going to look at as the playbook for how they will (eventually) handle Miller’s extension.

Let’s dive into it.

Exclusive limited-time offer: As a token of appreciation for SportCLT hitting 600 subscribers, we’re running a free agency promotion. Our annual paid subscription plan is 50% off for the next two days. All you have to do is use this subscription link.

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The Charlotte Hornets have remained quiet since the beginning of the NBA’s free agency moratorium period started on June 30th at 6 PM ET.

It’s been more than three days since then, with the wider NBA discussion more-so fixed around the trades of Walker Kessler, Jaylen Brown, and Kawhi Leonard.

The Charlotte Hornets have had an active offseason despite the lack of free agency moves. They already have a full roster (with 16 players) plus a few already signed to two-way deals.

I still don’t think Charlotte is done this offseason. Let’s dive into the direction I think they go, plus an intel nugget or two.

Exclusive limited-time offer: As a token of appreciation for SportCLT hitting 600 subscribers, we’re running a free agency promotion. Our annual paid subscription plan is 50% off for the next week. All you have to do is use this subscription link.

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The Charlotte Hornets have traded away each of LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in the past calendar week, and in doing so, have opened up a variety of pathways to get deals done with players either via free agency or in the trade market.

One under-discussed idea that Charlotte has access now, thanks to the LaMelo Ball trade, is the possibility to bring in a free agent via sign-and-trade.

But who could the Hornets potentially target this summer that would actually be worth it - especially in a free agency period that has been decreasing in importance over the past several years?

I gave my opinion on a few players that I think Charlotte might take a long look at acquiring.

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The Charlotte Hornets have finally traded Miles Bridges after multiple years of speculation.

Charlotte sent the Suns a first-round pick in 2029, which will be the least favorable between CLT/UTA/MIN/CLE. The Hornets also sent a second-round pick in 2029 that is projected to be towards the end of the round.

In return, the Hornets received Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neal, and an unprotected first-round pick in 2033.

All things considered, this was a strong deal for the Hornets. They turned what should be a late-first round pick in 2029 into one of the most valuable draft assets in the future, and will have seven years to trade the pick (or just use it in 2033).

For Miles Bridges, the writing seemed to be on the wall after LaMelo Ball was traded, though the Hornets were exploring Bridges’ market far before Ball’s.

In this piece, I’ll answer some of the biggest questions remaining for the Hornets following the Bridges trade, including whether Royce O’Neal & Grayson Allen will be staying in Charlotte, what the Hornets could do in free agency, and some interesting tidbits on Moussa Diabate.

Exclusive limited-time offer: As a token of appreciation for SportCLT hitting 600 subscribers, we’re running a free agency promotion. Our annual paid subscription plan is 50% off for the next week. All you have to do is use this subscription link.

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The Charlotte Hornets have re-worked their roster in a major way by trading franchise guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While the move itself saw the addition of Naz Reid and draft capital, it also opened up a ton of roster flexibility moving forward without Ball’s $40+ million/year contract on the books.

Here’s how the Hornets salary cap table looks, as of right now.

The Hornets will operate above the salary cap, which means they will receive a $40.7M trade exception from trading LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves, and will also have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which can be used to sign or trade for players on a salary of up to roughly $15M.

So we see the tools at Charlotte’s disposal. How will they actually go about using them, if at all?

Let’s dive into my Hornets free agency (and LaMelo Ball trade) notebook, including some of what I’ve heard, and how I think the Hornets will approach the next few weeks.

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Fair warning, I didn’t really proofread this.

I don’t really know what to say other than “wow.”

The Charlotte Hornets traded away one of the few players I was certain would be on the roster in 2026-27 in LaMelo Ball.

The full trade -

Hornets receive: Naz Reid, 2033 unprotected first-round pick, 2028 unprotected first-round pick swap rights, two more first-round swap rights with complex conditions in 2029 and 2030, and three future second-round picks.

Timberwolves receive: LaMelo Ball and Josh Green

First Reaction

We first got news that the Charlotte Hornets might be moving LaMelo Ball last night when the NBA Draft concluded, when Shams Charania mentioned the Hornets were listening to offers on Ball, and that something could progress in the next 24-48 hours.

The teams mentioned were the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors.

Other insiders rushed to confirm.

I had a feeling that something was progressing towards a deal since most of those insiders echoing the report did so while mentioning Ball was happy in Charlotte and excited about the roster direction.

To me, that signaled his camp had gotten wind of a potential deal and wanted to get ahead of it from a news standpoint.

From my own subjective point of view, I think the Raptors had much more to offer than Minnesota, particularly after the Stein Line was reporting that Jaden McDaniels was not a player the Timberwolves had available.

And certainly, I thought that 2025 first-round draft pick Joan Beringer would be in any deal from Minnesota pursuing Ball. So it was a surprise to me when the deal was broken by Shams Charania without Beringer.

My initial reaction to the deal was pretty animated.

“That’s it?”

“Wow. That really is it. A starting power forward and a single first-round pick.”

Not to blame Hornets on SI’s Matt Alquiza, but this is more what I had in my head, courtesy of his quick article last night:

That certainly would have been a much more significant haul than what Charlotte actually received.

And diving more into Ball’s value, I think I can get a little bit more behind the deal from a value standpoint, but not to the extent of others.

Naz Reid’s value is probably more than a first-round pick. The 2033 unprotected first-round pick could age well, and the Hornets did generate a ton of financial flexibility in moving off of Ball, including a $40.7M trade exception - the biggest in NBA history.

I said it in the moment and I’ll say it again here: The Hornets front office has built up a lot of good will over the past two years. I think they just burned it all in one move.

Everything they do from this point forward will be scrutinized with one question in mind: “Was this worth giving up our franchise player?”

The Bet Made By The Hornets

The Hornets are hedging LaMelo Ball’s health, plain and simple. You don’t really trade a player of Ball’s caliber from your team unless you think the recent returns of what he’s provided are an anomaly.

When Charlotte was at their best this past season, Ball was on the floor. He made the lives of Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel much easier, and the numbers back it up.

I’ve seen some hypothesize that the Hornets might not view Ball as a playoff player due to his lack of physicality and rim finishing. I don’t really buy that given the team just spent a top-20 pick on Christian Anderson.

I think Charlotte believes the 70-some games Ball played this year was more of an outlier than a new trend. And I don’t blame them if that’s the case, especially given the heavy minutes restriction placed upon him in those 70 games.

You’re also betting that the Minnesota Timberwolves are somewhat in poor condition by the time their 2033 pick comes around. We also don’t know what the draft will look like by the time that pick comes around, since the new system is only guaranteed until 2030.

My take on that? Who knows, man. It’s seven years away.

I’d also say that this maybe isn’t necessarily about what Naz Reid and that pick specifically do for Charlotte instead of ball, but also the flexibility that such a trade offers Charlotte.

They now have a surplus of four picks and three swaps, as well as a dozen future second-round picks to work with. Charlotte also has the aforementioned trade exception and a $15M MLE to work with in free agency.

The Harsh Reality, Though

The trade exception and draft picks are nice, sure, but the Hornets still just traded away the most talented player they’ve had in the building this millennium.

The front office will communicate that this is a part of a larger plan, and while it’s hard not to take that into consideration, I can’t sit here on June 25th and praise the Hornets for moves they’ve yet to make.

Thanks for the trade exception, I guess, but a trade exception isn’t getting me a 30-point triple double in October when it actually matters - you still have to actually find a player to use the trade exception on.

And while I understand that GM Jeff Peterson has made great moves on the margins throughout his tenure in Charlotte, this is by far the most consequential transaction he’s made, and it’s by far the most negative I’ve felt about anything he’s done, regardless of scale.

I’ve seen some claim that there’s an idea that Charlotte Hornets fans are going to value Ball more than what he’s actually worth, and I think that line of thinking has validity to most players’ trade value throughout the NBA. Fans will always naturally value their players more.

But with Ball specifically, it feels a bit different, no? Charlotte has built a team infrastructure designed to accentuate Ball’s strengths, so trying to replace his impact isn’t the same as just “bringing in a player with a similar 2k rating.”

So when I see positive “trade grades” across the board for a deal which saw Charlotte lose the engine which makes them go, it doesn’t really help me get to a place where I understand it more.

If the trade itself is designed to hedge Ball’s injury history with a significant amount of flexibility, it will only “mean something” once the team actually uses said flexibility.

Naz Reid, Because He Deserves A Section

I do think Naz Reid is going to be a good player in Charlotte, assuming they keep him. He fits what Charles Lee wants in his scheme, Reid is a capable front court scorer and passer, with some high-end shooting from the five spot. It opens Charlotte up for some interesting 5-out lineups, and I think Reid will work well with No. 14 pick Hannes Steinbach.

Reid is also on what I consider to be a really good contract.

He’s got four years left on his deal (the last year of which is a player option) worth about $26M annually.

I covered the Timberwolves for a few years, including when they brought in Naz Reid, and I can confidently say that Reid could become a fan favorite player, as he was in Minnesota, and I’m hoping that Charlotte embraces him in spite of the Ball trade.

Coby White Got His Extension

Buried through it all was Coby White re-signing in Charlotte on a three-year deal worth just under $25 million annually.

It made sense to bring back White even before the Ball trade, but the team could not lose him after the deal, so locking him up was no surprise.

Still, I really don’t think I’ve felt that level of apathy towards a Charlotte Hornets-centric Shams notification than when I saw the extension notification.

White is a good starting point guard, and I’m excited to see him grow on last year’s late season push. I certainly think the returns you saw from White probably made Charlotte a bit more comfortable in sending Ball to Minnesota.

What’s Next?

The Hornets aren’t done. Free agency hasn’t started, and I don’t think the roster is complete.

With the addition of Reid and removal of Ball from the roster, there is literally no reason for Miles Bridges to stick around. I do think he gets moved in the coming days.

I also think that the Hornets will, indeed, use the $40.7M TPE they received in the Ball trade on a player that fits the direction of the Hornets organization.

Some names to keep an eye on there: Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, Portland’s Jerami Grant, OKC’s Lu Dort, Houston’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Jabari Smith. I don’t know how realistic it would be for Charlotte to acquire a “star” with that TPE.

One Short Closing Thought

The Hornets had a star that wanted to be in Charlotte and they traded him away. The Hornets front office isn’t going to be given the benefit of the doubt moving forward, and will have to prove it was worth it to trade him away.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Washington center Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson at No. 18 in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft. Needing a paint presence, playmaking off the bench, and defensive improvement, the Hornets addressed two out of three needs, but were they the best picks available? Below are my grades for Charlotte’s first round selections.

Hannes Steinbach: A-

The Hornets potentially found their long-term starting center in Hannes Steinbach. I have Steinbach ranked as my No. 15 player overall and No. 4 big in this class, so the value is on point for Charlotte. Steinbach was the best fit available for Charlotte, so it’s impossible to be too harsh on the pick. However, the Hornets did pass on the opportunity to trade up for a player like Morez Johnson out of Michigan, who could provide meaningful defensive improvement.

Steinbach was overlooked this season as a freshman at Washington due to the Huskies’ underwhelming season. However, Steinbach built an impressive resume at Washington by leading college basketball with 11.8 rebounds per game and emerging as a skilled offensive big in the paint.

I don’t project Steinbach to be a star for Charlotte, but the Hornets don’t need stars with LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller on the roster. The Hornets instead should be looking for high-level role players, which Steinbach should excel as a high-level rebounder and have enough offensive skill to elevate Charlotte’s offense.

With his combination of large hands, a strong base, and good footwork, Steinbach should be a menace on the glass. While he’s not overly tall at six-foot-ten, he’s got a strong frame that is still growing, giving him the strength needed to win rebounds against NBA centers. He’s also very adept at securing rebounds as well, rather than fumbling around with the ball in the air. From day one, Charlotte has a rebounding machine to help strengthen the front court.

Offensively, Steinbach’s scoring starts at the rim. With his rebounding prowess, he’ll be a threat to finish put-backs as a rookie. Additionally, the Hornets can get creative with Steinbach and Ball. Steinbach is a capable pick-and-roll big that reliably finishes at the rim. Of note, his screens need to improve to fully maximize his fit with Ball. The final piece of his offensive game that intrigues me is his pick-and-pop ability after making 34% of his 3s this season. While it was on low volume, the shot looks repeatable and should translate.

My biggest critique of Steinbach’s game is his rim protection. He’s probably not athletic enough to play the 4, but will also face challenges at the five with his lack of verticality. College players had no hesitation about driving and finishing over him, and the same issue will likely persist in the NBA. Steinbach’s ability to improve his interior defense will be the X factor that determines if this pick is a good selection or a steal.

Christian Anderson: C+

The Hornets needed a backup point guard and found their man in Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson. Ranked as my No. 21 prospect in this class and second-best point guard available, behind Labaron Philon, the value is fine for Charlotte at No. 18.

Anderson is one of the most exciting prospects in this class and will be a sparkplug off the bench. Shooting 41.5% from deep, Anderson is a threat to score at any moment thanks to his robotically efficient pull-up jumper. Comfortable shooting from range, Anderson will almost certainly have a rookie highlight reel that’s one of the best in the league.

Anderson also provides a steady presence as a playmaker. I expect the Hornets to deploy Anderson in pick and roll actions where Anderson forces defenders to either allow him to pull from deep or deliver a pass to a rolling big. Totally 7.4 assists per game, good for fifth in college basketball this season, Anderson can take the keys to the second team offense and keep the car moving forward.

Defensively, I’m very worried about this selection. The good news for Charlotte is that Anderson plays hard on defense to make the most on that end of the court. However, after measuring in at six-foot-one and 180 pounds at the combine, there’s only so much that Anderson can do defensively. With no switchability and limited strength, I expect bigger, experienced NBA guards to take advantage of Anderson’s defense.

One other key concern with Anderson is his turnovers. With 3.3 turnovers per game, Anderson panics at times and finds himself in precarious situations. NBA coaching should help minimize those mistakes, but if Anderson is a high turnover player, I would not be surprised. His ability to minimize turnovers will be crucial for his success as a pro.

Overall: B

This class doesn’t wow me, but it provides meaningful upgrades for the Hornets. Finding quality role players is a hallmark of the best front offices, and Charlotte did exactly that.

I expect Steinbach to be Charlotte’s starting center by the end of his rookie season and could be the long-awaited quality center that the Hornets have lacked for years. Steinbach’s addition to the roster allows Moussa Diabate to move to the bench as an energizing presence off the bench. As a big, physical rebounder, Steinbach can contribute as a rookie as his offensive game evolves. I’ve got concerns about his defense paired with the rest of Charlotte’s starting lineup, but he was the best big for Charlotte if they didn’t want to trade up.

Anderson gives the Hornets a backup point guard who can run the second-team offense effectively. The Texas Tech guard also gives Charlotte some insurance in the event that LaMelo Ball misses time due to injury. With his shooting ability, Anderson’s floor is high enough to project him to be a key role player as a rookie. However, at just six-foot-one, I have major concerns about Anderson’s defense, despite being a high effort defender. Additionally, passing on a wing like Cam Carr, who has defensive upside, is a questionable decision given the Hornets’ defensive struggles last season.

Overall, this looks like a good class with two quality role players. The Hornets likely didn’t select All-Stars, but found pieces that fit the scheme and will be particularly impactful on offense. However, I can’t grade this class higher than a B due to the failure to improve the defense.