A way-too-early look at the top three options for the Hornets in the 2025 NBA Draft

As we hit the midseason point for the Hornets, the team sits at an underwhelming 11-30. The team sits six games back of the final play-in spot, and it looks like it will be another year without a playoff appearance in the Hive.

Not all is bad for Charlotte, who currently sit with the fourth-best odds (12.5%) in the league to land the number one overall selection. Presumably, that would be Duke University’s star forward Cooper Flagg, who is turning heads only two hours from Spectrum Center.

After the 2018 season, the league implemented a rule that the three worst teams would hold a 14% chance to acquire the number one pick. Since then, at least one of those teams has fallen out of a top-three selection.

So, let’s look at the top three players the Hornets may be able to select in June.

Ace Bailey

Bailey has been playing some of his best basketball as of late, getting up to 19.9 points while shooting 48.4% from the field and 39.3% from three. The Rutgers forward has been on a tear lately, scoring 30 points in his last outing against Penn State while only missing two total shots. Bailey’s play style is reminiscent of Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant, and his scoring would fit perfectly alongside Ball and Miller.

Dylan Harper

Ace Bailey is not the only Scarlet Knight with top-three looks. Dylan Harper, despite struggles lately, has been playing just as well as his teammate. Harper is a 6’6" guard who would perfectly be able to slide into the other guard position and give another high-level scorer next to Ball and Miller. He has been compared to the likes of Cade Cunningham and James Harden and could make life easier for LaMelo. He has averaged 19.3 points on the year while shooting 48.8% from three and 34.1% from three.

Cooper Flagg

Finally, the man the entire bottom of the league is chasing after. “Capture the Flagg” has been a popular saying throughout the season, and for the right reason. Cooper Flagg has been the best player in college basketball as of late. Over Duke’s twelve-game win streak, the Maine native is averaging 20.3 points per game, including a 42-point outburst. Flagg’s been often compared to another former Blue Devil, Paolo Banchero, as both have strong offensive and defensive abilities. Oh, yes, Flagg is averaging 2.8 stocks (steals and blocks) a night, which would be beyond perfect to set up next to Mark Williams.

Yes, he is projected to be the number one draft pick. That being said, Flagg would fit better than anybody else in the entire draft.

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