Grading the Charlotte Hornets Offseason So Far

The Charlotte Hornets have been ridiculously busy this offseason. That isn't always a good thing. Moves for moves' sake are not really smart team-building, so it's important to look at each move and analyze it instead of just saying that they did a lot.

Ultimately, a full offseason is the sum of its moves. So for the purposes of this article, we'll grade every major move and then use those as a composite score for the entire offseason.

Trading LaMelo Ball: D

I have since softened on this move. My initial grade was an F, and that may be a little too harsh. It's still a major risk that is almost certainly going to hurt the Hornets in the immediate interim, but there is a chance we one day look back at this as a good move. It's just a very small chance it pays off like the Hornets want.

Trading Miles Bridges: A

This was a move I really liked at first, but now I love it. Losing Miles Bridges is addition by subtraction. Getting two good shooters back is really good, and swapping a heavily protected 2029 pick for an unprotected 2033 pick is good, too. This might be the best move of the offseason.

Re-Signing Coby White: B+

Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) in action against the New York Knicks | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Re-signing Coby White became absolutely imperative after trading LaMelo Ball, but the Hornets avoided overpaying due to need. The terms are solid. The only thing bringing it down is that it's just a three-year deal, and I would've liked to have seen a team option or a fourth year tacked on. He's still young and the team needs a long-term PG.

Drafting Hannes Steinbach: A-

Hannes Steinbach could be a diamond in the rough. His rebounding is truly elite. If he can score even remotely as he did in Summer League, he'll be a standout in a deep draft class. The only knock is that it might've been a little wiser to send a second-round pick or two to move up and snag Aday Mara.

Drafting Christian Anderson Jr.: B-

It hasn't been all good for the rookies, though. Christian Anderson Jr.'s shot was not falling in Summer League. His playmaking was good, and the learning curve is steep for point guards, so hope is not lost. It's still a good pick, especially at 18th overall, but his shotmaking is cause for a little bit of concern so far.

Trading for Dorian Finney-Smith: C+

I'm not sure Dorian Finney-Smith even makes the roster, and if he does, then he'll likely be an expensive back-end player. Three second-round picks is good for giving up literally nothing, but in today's NBA, second-rounders are less and less valuable.

Offseason Grade: B-

There were a ton of really good moves for the Hornets this offseason. One massive risk that understandably set the fan base ablaze and makes the Hornets worse for 2026-27 tanks the rest of the offseason, though.

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