Hornets Consensus Mock Draft v3.0

One week away from the draft and following the international withdrawal deadline, mock drafts across the nba media-verse have been updated. This consensus mock draft article only includes picks from reputable draft outlets with a multi-year track record for scouting and covering the draft.

Outlet	Player	Updated
ESPN (Jonathan Givony)	Dalton Knecht	June 19th
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie)	Stephon Castle	June 20th
All Hornets (James Plowright)	Dalton Knecht	June 20th
The Ringer (Kevin O'Conner)	Stephon Castle	June 17th
No Ceilings (All)	Stephon Castle	June 19th
Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek)	Reed Sheppard	June 17th
Bleacher Report (Jon Wasserman)	Donovan Clingan	June 19th
CBS Sports (Kyle Boone)	Matas Buzelis	June 17th
USA Today (Bryan Kalbrosky)	Matas Buzelis	June 18th
Clutch Points (Brett Siegall)	Stephon Castle	June 13th
SB Nation (Ricy O'Donnell)	Stephon Castle	June 18th

1. Stephon Castle - 5 Selections

Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard Myles Colvin (5) during the first half of the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports | Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Castle finished as the most popular selection with five outlets projecting the Hornets selecting the former UCONN Husky. Castle has been the most popular player linked to Charlotte throughout the draft cycle, with 6/10 mocks projecting the same pick after lottery night,

2. Matas Buzelis - 2 Selections

Team Detlef forward Matas Buzelis, right, of the G League Ignite celebrates with a teammate after hitting the winning shot during a Rising Stars semifinal game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Feb. 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars / USA TODAY NETWORK

Buzelis finishes joint second, receiving two selections from CBS Sports and USA Today. It has been confirmed Buzelis has worked out for Charlotte, his range appears firmly set in the 4-7 range.

3. Dalton Knecht - 2 Selections

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) reacts to 72-66 loss to Purdue at the NCAA tournament Midwest Regional Elite 8 round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, March 31, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Knecht also finishes tied second with two selections from All Hornets and ESPN. It appears Knecht is heavily being considered by Charlotte, especially if Castle or Sheppard are selected ahead of them in the top five.

4. Donovan Clingan - 1 Selection

Apr 13, 2024; Hartford, CT, USA; UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) hold the championship trophy as he arrives at the State Capitol and greeted by fans before teams victory parade. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports | David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Clingan to Charlotte has cooled off, with only Bleacher Report now projecting him to Charlotte. ESPN has reported the Hornets appear unlikely to consider Clingan. There are also rumors Clingan could be selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks, his range is wide open.

5. Reed Sheppard - 1 Selection

Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) fives forward Aaron Bradshaw (2) during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports | Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Only selected by Yahoo! Sports Krysten Peek, most other mocks have Sheppard being selected in the top five. However, ESPN have reported if Sheppard is available at six, it is likely his floor.