3 biggest questions facing Charlotte Hornets with training camp around the corner

Training camp for the Charlotte Hornets begins at the very end of this month. At that point, the team can start answering some questions about the roster, the lineup, and more. It's a crucial time to prepare for the regular season, just ask the cross-town Carolina Panthers.

Training camp gives way to the preseason which flows into the regular season, so meaningful basketball is close. The Hornets still have a lot of work to do to figure things out before then, though. Here are the biggest and most pressing questions.

Who's going to start on the wing?

Three spots are locked down in the Hornets' lineup: LaMelo Ball at the point guard spot, Brandon Miller at the two or the three, and Miles Bridges at the four. The center spot (more on that later) is one thing, but the most important other starter is the final wing player.

Kon Knueppel has a good chance to take that spot, but he's a rookie who took some time adjusting even in Summer League. He didn't scream immediate starter, so training camp might be vital for him to get to that level.

If it's not Knueppel, it will probably be Collin Sexton, though Spencer Dinwiddie, Tre Mann, and Pat Connaughton could also be options. Liam McNeeley might make some noise. The Hornets have to decide which player is best and which player fits the lineup best. They're not always one and the same, and it's an important decision for Charles Lee and company.

Who will start at center?

The other of the five starting spots that's up for grabs is the center spot. It's a little less meaningful since, no matter who starts, it's not going to be ideal. Moussa Diabate is undersized and has little to no offensive capability. Mason Plumlee is an aging veteran better suited to a mentor bench role. Ryan Kalkbrenner is a second-round rookie.

It looks like Diabate will get the nod because he's safer than Kalkbrenner and better than Plumlee. He also started some last year with injuries to centers. Training camp will be about finding out if Kalkbrenner is good enough to challenge for the spot and deciding how best to manage the minutes of all three.

Who gets left out?

The Hornets currently have way too many players, so moves will have to be made in order to get into roster compliance. Training camp can be a good time to find out who is or isn't destined for the final roster, and there are a number of options here.

Nick Smith Jr. can be traded. Pat Connaughton could be bought out. DaQuan Jeffries can be waived. Other players could also be waived or traded, but those three make the most sense. It's up to Jeff Peterson, Charles Lee, and the rest of the organization to find out the least harmful way to go about this for the roster.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

Looking back at what went wrong during Michael Jordan's tenure as Hornets' owner

Miles Bridges stat projection for 2025-26: How good can Hornets forward be?

One word to describe the expectations of the Hornets 2025-26 season

Is this a make-or-break season for Brandon Miller in Charlotte?