Hornets mailbag: What should Charlotte do with pair of NBA Draft picks?
The NBA Draft is less than a week away and the start of free agency isn’t far behind that on the offseason calendar.
Shortly, the reshaping of the Charlotte Hornets’ roster should be fairly complete. But there are plenty of questions about which direction they might go.
In this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about what the Hornets should do with their two first-round picks, which position they should target, the possibility of president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson making a blockbuster move, and more.
Salary cap worries
Ray asks via BlueSky: Cap issues going forward?
It’s not really anything to be overly concerned about at this juncture because of the current salary commitment. Besides LaMelo Ball’s $43.5 million salary in 2026-27, the Hornets don’t have a whole lot of massive numbers on their books clogging up their cap. Obviously, that could change if they sign Brandon Miller to a rookie contract extension prior to the deadline in the fall, but you can be sure the Hornets are crunching salaries for several scenarios.
They’re going to have to begin adding more veteran pieces to the young core of Ball, Miller and Kon Knueppel to consistently compete against the better teams in the league bursting with playoff experience. But minus a sudden surge in cap-choking deals via acquisitions that were too good to pass up, they will move some things around enough to ensure they have financial flexibility. They know how important that is.
NBA Draft plans
BackinBlackburn asks via X, formerly known as Twitter: (Draft) two big men with 14 and 18?
That’s certainly a pretty good possibility. Clearly getting physical and adding more size is among the chief priorities of the front office this offseason. One of the easiest ways to do that is by drafting a player who is under your control contractually for a few seasons without counting heavily against your salary cap. It’s why, undoubtedly, the Hornets will use at least one of their first-round picks on a big man.
The other selection could be used to dangle as bait for a trade. Or they could add more depth to the wing position. You can never have enough shooters, especially with LaMelo Ball at the helm running the point guard. That helps spread the floor and makes Ball even more effective because of the space it creates.
Roster changes
Ed asks via X: What roster changes do you anticipate this offseason?
A blockbuster trade seems unlikely. Still, expect Jeff Peterson to take a few swings, executing at least one move to shake up the roster — particularly along the front line. The Hornets can’t go into next season with the same look at power forward and center considering how they were pushed around against some of the more physical opponents.
Given they still hold the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, the status quo won’t get it done. They have plenty of assets at their disposal when it comes to draft picks over the next half-decade that they can dangle in prospective deals to land a player with experience who can help them right away.
They are aware of that in the upper reaches of the organization, and they won’t be satisfied with the roster still stacking up quite similarly up front to what it did this past season.
Trading first-round picks
Geoff asks via email: What do you think the likelihood is of the Hornets packaging both of this year’s picks, and a player or two (or some other combination) to upgrade their rotation with a talented veteran?
That’s a great question and one that is probably on the mind of many avid followers of the purple and teal. It all depends on the price and whether that player fits the timeline based on the team’s trajectory. Surrendering valuable picks in what’s been termed as a deep draft must be heavily weighed by the organization right until the very moment they’re on the clock via those words from commissioner Adam Silver.
However, from this vantage point, bringing in two young players — at least one of whom won’t help you right away — and putting them on a roster that has some form of youth or lacks postseason experience at virtually every position doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Part of the reason the Hornets have stockpiled draft capital is to have it at their disposal to use as bargaining chips to get a prospective deal done. Now is the time to flip at least one of their 2026 first-rounders into something that can elevate the entire roster immediately.
But it must be done without jeopardizing the future or sabotaging the present. So that means don’t go seeking the early 30-something route on the trade market. That shouldn’t be the aisle the Hornets are shopping in because they’re not at that level just yet.
This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Hornets mailbag: What should Charlotte do with pair of NBA Draft picks?."
