ESPN analyst says Charlotte Hornets need another top lottery pick before getting aggressive

The Charlotte Hornets have been stockpiling lottery picks for several years. The latest was Kon Knueppel, who, along with several other newcomers, may have really raised the floor for the Hornets. It may not quite be enough, though.

NBA insider says Hornets probably want 2026 draft stars

Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American East forward Cameron Boozer (12) stands on the court during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

ESPN insider Tim Bontemps believes that the Hornets have gotten better this offseason, and with how weak the East is going to be in 2025-26, there's definitely a chance they are better than everyone expects, but that might not be ideal for Charlotte.

🎙️ @TimBontemps: "From an actions over words situation... I think the Charlotte Hornets would love to get a crack at Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, one of these guys, and then put their foot down and start to really rev things up." 🤔 pic.twitter.com/0jKsWyb7wu
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) August 8, 2025

Bontemps said that Charlotte probably does want to be competitive this year. He added that if LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are healthy, there's a really good shot they can make the Play-In Tournament and possibly the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

"From an actions over words situation, I would also say that the current centers on the roster are Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and the guy who might be the starter, Moussa Diabate," Bontemps said. "That is not the center rotation of a team that is really aggressively trying to move up the standings this year.

He added, "I think Charlotte would love to get a crack at Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, one of these guys, and then put their foot down and start to really rev things up."

That would give the Hornets a very interesting young lineup with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, as well as one of those aforementioned prospects. That would also give them a lineup with four top-four picks from the draft.

That would, in theory, be more than enough for Charlotte to finally be competitive. It would also give them enough of a young core to finally cash in the chips they have been stockpiling. Jeff Peterson said there would come a day when the Hornets do that, and it might end up being in the 2026 offseason.

This does all hinge on Charlotte being pretty bad again. That, or they can get some lottery luck, but that has really never ever happened. If Charlotte is better, as expected, it will be very hard to get one of the four prospects that Bontemps mentioned, because there's a chance they're the top four picks in the draft.

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