Predicting the First Major Headline of the Hornets' 2026-27 Season

Jeff Peterson has completely retooled the Charlotte Hornets' roster over the past couple of months, doing his job to keep the organization in the headlines throughout the summer.

What could be the first major headline of the 2026-27 season? I've got an idea, and no, it doesn't have anything to do with making a big move.

Headline prediction: Moussa, move over

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; The fourteenth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Washington forward Hannes Steinbach reacts after he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You may not consider a rookie bumping a former two-way guy out of a starting role as major, but let's be real here. Moussa Diabaté is not your typical ex-two-way player; he has earned the right to start in this league.

Also, we're keeping this realistic.

The Hornets aren't going to make some blockbuster trade this late in the offseason or in the first month or so of the 2026-27 campaign, and that includes a move for Steph Curry. Bringing the Charlotte kid back home is more of a possibility next offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

But back to the topic at hand, Hannes Steinbach looks like the kind of guy Charles Lee needs at the center position for this offense to reach its full potential. Counting on him to put up 15 and nine each night as a rookie is a bit of an unfair ask, but he knows how to score it and will give the Hornets a much-needed scoring punch on the interior.

The shot is coming along nicely, too. At Washington, he connected on 34% of shots from range, albeit on 53 attempts. Unlike the Mark Williams situation, where we heard from both the front office and coaching staff that he would eventually start hoisting up threes to ultimately never do it, I think they are going to encourage Steinbach to take those shots now rather than work it in over time.

Even if he doesn't attempt more than two threes per game, he does enough around the basket and in the mid-range to make up for it. He handles the ball well, can post guys up, and finish through contact. Moussa has made tremendous strides on that end of the floor over the past two years, but because of his size, he's always going to be at a slight disadvantage.

Diabaté is one heck of a player, and by no means am I suggesting the Hornets should look to trade him. The energy, tenacity, and effort that he brings to the game are what every contending team needs to have. And if we are being real here, there aren't a ton of those types of players out there — guys that know their role, play to their strengths, and have a contagious attitude.

Moussa, in my opinion, is someone they need to keep, even if this plays out to be true and he's moved to a bench role. That's a nice spark plug to be able to insert into the game, especially if things aren't going well on the glass.

Steinbach still has a ton of work to do between now and the start of the season, but I think this headline has a chance of happening by opening night. And hey, let's not forget, they started Ryan Kalkbrenner, a second-round pick there a year ago, so it's not all that far-fetched.

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