Charlotte Hornets NBA mock draft roundup: Analysts project Jeff Peterson to covet interior reinforcements

Although we're only halfway through November, it's never too early to look ahead to the NBA Draft. Especially this upcoming NBA Draft.

Evaluators who follow both the college and international hoop scenes have lauded this incoming class of potential draftees. Headlined by Darryn Peterson, an electric scoring guard from Kansas, Cam Boozer, a do-it-all basketball savant from Duke, and AJ Dybansta, a 6'9" forward who slithers around the court like Gumby and fills up the cup at will, this draft class has the potential to be Special with a capital S.

Thankfully, due to Jeff Peterson's draft night trade with the Phoenix Suns that netted both Liam McNeeley and a 2026 first round selection (with incredibly complicated swap rules) in return for Mark Williams, the Charlotte Hornets will have two bites at the apple that is this loaded class of prospects.

Two prominent NBA Draft analysts, Jeremy Woo and Ricky O'Donnell, released mock drafts on Tuesday that can shed some light on what Hornets' fans can look forward to as the college basketball season rolls into its highly anticipated Feast Week.

Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston

Starting with Jeremy Woo's mock draft on ESPN.com, we see Cenac as the first Hornets' selection. Here's a snippet of Woo's evaluation of the two-way big man:

"Cenac has been steady to start the college season and appears to have bought in to his role at Houston, making a difference on the glass and flashing comfort with his jumper. With his minutes looking solid, there's plenty of room for him to build on that, particularly on the offensive end, where he faces an adjustment playing on the inside against older and stronger college bigs. He's still a ways from reaching his ceiling, but he has a good toolbox for a modern, mobile, rim-protecting stretch 5, an archetype that's not prevalent in this class."

If Cenac continues to be comfortable with his jumper, he'll fit in nicely in Charlotte as the type of versatile, two-way power forward that Tidjane Salaun was supposed to be. The Hornets desperately need to beef up their size at the four spot (although Miles Bridges has done a fine enough job moonlighting as a power forward), and Cenac Jr. could be the ailment for their long-standing woes.

Tounde Yessoufou, SG/SF, Baylor

This feels like the type of pick Charlotte's new brain trust will shy away from. Woo says that Yessoufou '...has strruggled shooting from 3 (3-for-15 to start the season) and faces questions about his playmaking and feel for moving the ball.

In review of the Hornets' 2025 class of draftees, the skills that Yessoufou struggles with (shooting, feel, playmaking) are ones that are coveted in the Queen City. I personally haven't watched Yessoufou play at Baylor, but Woo's one-line scout doesn't mesh with the things Jeff Peterson and company look for in a draft prospect.

Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky

Quaintance is a defensive ace, something that the Hornets' need. Although he only stands at 6'9", the Kentucky Wildcat (who hasn't played yet in 2025-26 as he recovers from an ACL tear), has a hulking wingspan that swallows opposing offenses whole. O'Donnell from SB Nation says this about the potential draftee:

"He has good mobility for someone so long and strong, and both his verticality and hand-eye coordination as a shot-blocker are outstanding. The questions for Quaintance come on the offensive end, where he doesn’t really shoot threes, was sub-50 percent on free throws, and is still figuring out how to score around the basket."

His non-stretch skillset feels redundant with Charlotte's dynamite center duo of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate, but the Hornets' lack of financial commitment to their current center room makes them easily movable if a prospect with a higher ceiling lands in their lap.

Elyjah Freeman, F, Auburn

Freeman feels like the Cedric Coward of this year's draft.

Coward, now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, cut his teeth in the sub-Division One levels of college hoops before flashing NBA-level potential in a fleeting couple of games with Washington State.

Freeman put up numbers at DII Lincoln Memorial, shooting 45% from three and 80%+ on free throws (per O'Donnell), and he now has a nice runway to prove his mettle in the SEC at Auburn. He has a desirable combo of height (6'8") and wingspan (7'2") that would fill a massive hole on the perimeter in Charlotte.

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