How long will Charlotte Hornets' playoff drought continue?

For the vast majority of the franchise's history, the Charlotte Hornets have not been a true contender. They had some deeper playoff runs in the 1990s, but everything after, including the Charlotte Bobcats era, has been far from it. They've made the playoffs twice since the turn of the century and haven't won a series.

That won't end this season. A loss to Miami on Sunday ensured that they would once again be in the lottery, although that was probable for a very long time. It's another year of missing out on the playoffs. How much longer will it continue?

It would be unwise to expect a playoff-caliber team next year. Even when healthy, the lineup of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams was underwhelming. They didn't play together much, but none of it said they could be a playoff unit with time to gel and perhaps one more piece.

Even adding Cooper Flagg, should they be so blessed by the lottery to earn the number one pick, wouldn't ensure a playoff run. Sure, a lineup of Ball, Miller, Bridges, Flagg, and Williams is pretty solid, but it doesn't scream top-six in the East. It's pretty close, though.

However, regardless of who the Hornets draft, it doesn't seem like the front office is expecting to be a winner here in the next year or so. They tried to trade Mark Williams. They'll probably try again this summer. Miles Bridges might also be gone via trade this summer.

As much as those two weren't necessarily propping the team up, losing one or both of them would be a hit to the rotation. It would be a purposeful one done to rebuild the roster, but it would be a hit nonetheless.

Assuming they do make those trades, which is far from impossible, the core would be Ball, Miller, and a prospect. Whether it's Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, or VJ Edgecombe, that's not a playoff trio right now.

In the best case, the Hornets could land Flagg, trade those two players to get future assets, and be a playoff contender in the weaker Eastern Conference in two or three years. In the worst case, they end up with a horrible pick in the draft this year and are relegated to another year of praying for lottery luck and that continues to push their contender status down the line.

The reality is likely in the middle ground. The Hornets will probably trade Bridges this summer and end up not with Flagg but with a tier-two prospect like Edgecombe. He, Miller, Ball, and Williams will form a nice, young core, but they'll need a couple more (including Tidjane Salaun, who remains a couple of years from being an impact player) pieces. That means their rebuild should last at least two or three years and that is when they'll finally end this never-ending drought.

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