Hornets Roster Tiers: How Everyone in Charlotte Shakes Out

The Charlotte Hornets do not look like the 2025-26 version as they embark on training camp, preseason, and finally, the highly anticipated regular season. Two major trades and some other small moves has this season feeling very different.

How does this new-look roster stack up? How many stars are there, and who is actually going to make the rotation? Here's how this team's roster breaks down.

Face of the Franchise

Brandon Miller
Kon Knueppel

Before the LaMelo Ball trade actually happened, there were questions about trading him and building around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. Now that it has happened, it's pretty obvious who the new faces are.

Stars

Coby White
Naz Reid

The next two are Coby White and Naz Reid. When you replace Ball, you'd better be a star. And when you're the key piece of the return for Ball, you'd also better be a star. Fortunately, these are two high-quality basketball players.

Key Role Players

Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté (14) and forward Grant Williams (2) celebrate a play | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grayson Allen
Grant Williams
Moussa Diabate
Sion James
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Dennis Schroder

It was really tempting to put Moussa Diabate in the star tier because he was so good last year. But we don't even know for sure he'll start over Hannes Steinbach after long, so he remains a key role player. Ryan Kalkbrenner is teetering on the edge of this and the fringe rotation group, but for now, his height keeps him up.

Rookies

Christian Anderson
Hannes Steinbach

Both Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. are in this tier because we technically do not know where they'll be in real NBA action. But if guessing, Steinbach feels like a key role player, and Anderson is in the fringe rotation group because he will be in the G League a lot.

Fringe Rotation

PJ Hall
Liam McNeeley
Royce O'Neale
Tidjane Salaun

Royce O'Neale is an end-of-the-bench sort of player who will see action. PJ Hall is the same way as a two-way contract. Tidjane Salaun and Liam McNeeley might play, but they'll probably also spend a lot of time down in the G League.

Roster Bubble

Pat Connaughton
Dorian Finney-Smith

It wouldn't be surprising if one or both of these players failed to make the roster out of camp. If they do, then both Pat Connaughton and Dorian Finney-Smith will simply be fringe rotation players who hardly see the floor (essentially veteran leaders at that point).

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