The Athletic praises the Hornets for smart offseason that quietly reshaped the roster

The Charlotte Hornets were not exactly poised to have such a big offseason when their 19-win season ended. They didn't have cap space, weren't linked to any massive trades (other than the always-mentioned but never realistic LaMelo Ball mock trades), and ended up with the fourth overall pick in the draft.

They defied all expectations, though, making several trades, adding a couple of free agents, and drafting four rookies, three of whom could easily play big minutes when the regular season arrives. How did they fare in all of that? Pretty well, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.

"The Hornets had a solid offseason to continue their rebuilding project. They took Kon Knueppel with the No. 4 pick, avoiding the Ace Bailey mishigas, and already have a trophy as a result," he began, highlighting the biggest addition they arguably made.

He then discussed the flipping of Mark Williams, saying the return for a player who appeared in 106 games in three years and wasn't part of the future was "good." Vorkunov added, "Liam McNeeley is the kind of strong-pedigreed prospect worth taking a shot on in the draft, and they get a future first, as well. That return doesn’t compare to what they were set to get from the Los Angeles Lakers in their rescinded February trade, but c’est la vie."

The biggest head-scratcher, in a good way, is what they were able to get for Jusuf Nurkic. Collin Sexton and a second-round pick made up a massive return. "Adding ballhandling and playmaking with Sexton and Spencer Dinwiddie (and re-signing Tre Mann) should help the league’s second-worst offense," the insider continued.

There's just one big caveat to all of this. The long-term success depends entirely on whether or not the young players can continue to stack up and be talented, but Vorkunov said they were ultimately successful in adding to their "war chest" both for right now and the future.

They will feature two different starters in 2025-26, likely swapping out Josh Green for Kon Knueppel and one of the centers for Mark Williams. They'll also have a much deeper bench, as they currently actually have too many players on the roster.

It's a very different team, but it's one that is built with the future in mind, and for that, Vorkunov gave them a B grade, which was somehow the second-worst in the Atlantic Division since Atlanta and Orlando aced it, and Washington did well, too.

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