Hornets unspectacular offseason follows the steady new course

The Charlotte Hornets are a team planning for better days ahead.

The new ownership group quickly grew tired of the team being constantly mired in the lower portion of the standings. Post-season play was infrequent and rarely successful. A new course had to be charted and the team stripped down to the studs and rebuilt around budding stars LeMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Before the end of the 2023-2024 season, they had hired new General Manger Jeff Peterson to navigate the long and difficult course back to competitiveness. Immediately Peterson signaled that he was prepared to follow the path initially charted by former General Manager Mitch Kupchak. The Hornets would move veterans to other teams for draft picks. They would use available cap space by acting as a middle man in trades between other franchises. The cost of their services would be additional draft capital.

A project of this magnitude would not result in immediate results. It is a plan that would require multiple seasons. It required a substantial amount of patience from fans that have been suffering poor season after poor season. One of the unfortunate aspects of the plan entailed more short-term losing. Losing that would provide high draft picks and premium young talent. If Peterson is to be successful, his off seasons would not be exciting, let alone spectacular. His first off-season has been exactly of that variety. Peterson moved out older and more expensive veterans with an eye on financial flexibility to be more of a player in free agency down the road.

Peterson began by jettisoning veterans that did not compliment his foundational pieces. These players did not have a place in the Hornets future and their veteran presence did not justify their hits against a tight cap. He waived center Marques Bolden, forwards Aleksej Pokusevski and Davis Bertans, and guard Reggie Jackson. Jackson had been obtained from the Denver Nuggets as part of a massive six team trade. He also waived guard Seth Curry but re-signed him to a more team friendly contract. Curry will be counted on to mentor, and occasionally scold, the mercurial Ball.

As part of the six team trade, Peterson also received guard Josh Green from the San Antonio Spurs. He sent a 2025 second round draft pick to the Nuggets for 2029 and 2030 draft picks. Second round draft picks have become the cryptocurrency to NBA general managers. Their real value is speculative at the time of the transaction but could be priceless to a team in eventually acquiring the missing piece to a championship roster. They could also be completely worthless when they are utilized. Denver also sent an undisclosed amount of cash to Charlotte. Peterson’s other trade was with the San Antonio Spurs. He sent cash to the Spurs for guard Devonte Graham and a 2025 second round pick. The deal allowed the Spurs to open cap space. The Hornets are expected to waive Graham. This move gets the Hornets additional draft and trade assets and establishes goodwill with San Antonio. Part of the trade calculus is to expect reciprocation if the Spurs are needed for a similar transaction in future years.

Peterson entered the NBA Draft with the 6th overall selection. Experts anticipated the Hornets would select either a guard to relieve the scoring burden from Miller and Ball, or a big man that would provide tough defense and rebounding. Eyebrows were raised when Charlotte took French forward Tidjane Salaun. Salaun is raw and light but has a tremendous upside.

He will offer minimal assistance to the team this season. He will be eased into the lineup as he adjusts to the physicality of the NBA and adapts to a new culture. His selection meshes well with the long-term plan of a young squad gelling together and becoming playoff contenders after a couple seasons of seasoning. Peterson hopes he addressed his supplemental scoring need by drafting Colorado guard KJ Simpson in the second round, 42nd overall. Both picks have been signed to their standard rookie contract.

In addition to Curry, the Hornets re-signed controversial forward Miles Bridges. Bridges was charged in July of 2022 with felony injury to a child’s parent and two felony counts of child abuse. In November of that year, he pleaded no contest to the domestic violence charge in a plea deal. The other two charges were dismissed, and he was sentenced to three years of probation. In October of 2023, Bridges was charged with violating his probation and protection of abuse orders. The NBA suspended him 30 games for his misconduct. The decision to bring him back has been met with harsh criticism in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg community. The Hornets only external free agent signing was 39 year old forward Taj Gipson who played previously with the Detroit Pistons.

The final additions to the Hornets’ organization could be the most important in returning the team to competitiveness. Peterson and Head Coach Charles Lee filled out the coaching staff. Assistants Lamar Skeeter, Josh Longstaff, Chris Jent, Blaine Muller, Ryan Frazier, Matt Hill, and Jermaine Bucknor were hired to take the young players and mold them into their potential to be all-stars and household names. Zach Peterson was brought on board as Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development. The final hiring will be popular with Hornet fans. All-time leading scorer and franchise icon Kemba Walker is the team’s new Player Enhancement Coach.

To get where the Hornets to where they want to be is a long journey. The steps involved will do little to instill enthusiasm, drive season ticket sales, increase television ratings, or move merchandise. Those are all short-term sacrifices to the greater goal. Fans should expect more off-seasons like this one before tangible results are seen on the court and in the standings. For long time fans, the plea of patience will fall on deaf ears. However, it is a necessary evil to finally escape the depths of endless mediocrity and contention purgatory.