Projecting the Charlotte Hornets depth chart for 2025-26

NBA teams can have 15 players on their active roster with full contracts. They can also have three two-way players, though only 12 can be active on any given gameday. The Charlotte Hornets' official roster lists 24 players, so moves are going to have to be made.

The Charlotte Hornets have time to get in compliance, but they will have to determine the fate of some of their players before then. If the season were to start today, here's what the depth chart will probably end up looking like.

Charlotte Hornets projected depth chart

Mar 28, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. (8) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The following players are on two-way contracts:

Drew Peterson
Antonio Reeves
KJ Simpson

Those players are safe and will be on the depth chart, but probably pretty low no matter what. A good Summer League from Simpson might propel him higher, but there's a genuine logjam at guard.

The starters will be:

LaMelo Ball
Brandon Miller
Kon Knueppel
Miles Bridges
Moussa Diabate

Here's how the depth behind them should look:

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Collin Sexton	Josh Green	Liam McNeeley	Tidjane Salaun	Mason Plumlee
Tre Mann	Pat Connaughton		Grant Williams (injured)	Ryan Kalkbrenner
Spencer Dinwiddie

That makes the 15-man roster plus the three two-way players. Unfortunately, that's bad news for Nick Smith Jr., DaQuan Jeffries, and Wendell Moore Jr. Sion James is also an odd man out, but he's going to end up on the G League roster more than likely.

Of course, the players on this depth chart will move around a ton. The Hornets actually have a decent bit of positional flexibility. McNeeley, Connaughton, Green, and Williams can all play the three, and everyone listed there can also play the two, except for Williams.

Sexton, Mann, and Dinwiddie can also play the two as well as the one. Salaun could probably slide up to the three if necessary as well. All in all, the Hornets have pretty decent depth, something that has not been true for a long time.

As for Smith Jr., Jeffries, and Moore, there are options. Smith Jr. might be traded since he's still pretty young. Jeffries has a non-guaranteed salary, so he'd be a very easy player to waive, and Moore will probably be waived as well. That solves the Hornets roster problem.

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