Grading every move the Hornets have made so far this offseason

The Charlotte Hornets have been very busy this offseason. They made four draft picks, a few trades, and even signed some players in free agency. After being positioned to have a quiet offseason, they've been surprisingly active. Here's how they've done with each move.

NBA Draft

1. Kon Knueppel: A

Drafting Kon Knueppel was both smart and good. He fits well in Charlotte's lineup, adding a needed boost alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. He was also the only pick that made sense, so kudos to Peterson for not taking an unnecessary swing in two consecutive drafts.

2. Liam McNeeley: B+

Liam McNeely slid pretty far to get to the 29th pick, so this was a case of the best available by far. But he's fairly similar to Knueppel, and another guard player wasn't necessarily the biggest need. Still, with so much value at this spot, McNeeley is far from a bad pick.

3. Sion James: C-

Sion James is the only misfire of the draft, and even then, I can see the vision. He's a toolsy defensive player who is a project. The Hornets had three other picks who'll probably play a lot, so they used the fourth on someone who won't. It's good for the roster to limit the number of incoming rookies who expect to play, so this isn't necessarily a stupid pick.

4. Ryan Kalkbrenner: A-

Ryan Kalkbrenner could've been a first-round pick, but the Hornets nabbed him at 34. He's the defensive anchor they've been looking for and really needed after trading Mark Williams. The eventual trade of Jusuf Nurkic adds to the value here.

Trades

5. Mark Williams: B+

The Hornets were never going to get the package they got from Los Angeles for Mark Williams the second time. But they still did really well. The 29th pick and a 2029 first-round pick, which will invariably be mid to late-20s itself, is not great, but it led to Liam McNeeley and another pick, so it's pretty great given all the Hornets went through to get here.

6. Jusuf Nurkic: A-

Jusuf Nurkic was probably going to be traded at the deadline, but the Hornets flipped him now for another similar expiring contract. They added Collin Sexton, a better player and a much-needed bench guard. To get a second-round pick with it is just fantastic.

7. Vasilije Micic: A+

Vasilije Micic came back in the Mark Williams deal, but I doubt he was ever going to play in Charlotte. So getting two second-round picks for him is brilliant. The Milwaukee Bucks giving up Pat Connaughton for him as well is just incredible. The Hornets got a better, more useful player and two second-rounders for a disgruntled guard likely heading overseason.

Free Agency

8. Mason Plumlee: C+

The Mason Plumlee reunion is not exactly inspiring, but it's not bad. He fits the mold of a veteran big who won't necessarily eat into Moussa Diabate's and Ryan Kalkbrenner's minutes. That's good, he's just not a very good player anymore. But as a mentor and low-minutes big man, it could be worse.

9. Tre Mann: B-

Bringing back Tre Mann for three years and $24 million is a pretty solid deal. Mann can clearly play with Charlotte, as he looked much more like the lottery pick he once was after coming over at the 2024 deadline. There was just already a surplus of guards on the roster, so adding Mann feels like overkill.

10. Spencer Dinwiddie: D+

This one is a head-scratcher. Spencer Dinwiddie is a true point guard, which is a thing the Hornets don't have much of, but they already have a million guards. He's only on a one-year deal and can be flipped easily, but it's hard to see why they did this other than injury insurance (which they already have now) or future trade bait.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

What are the Hornets doing with all of these guards?

Changing it up: Jeff Peterson is making competitive moves and instilling hope

Is there still room for Josh Okogie? Hornets' recent moves suggest he could be the odd man out

The one player who has benefited most from the Hornets' offseason moves