Ranking Every Charlotte Hornets Offseason Move From Best to Worst

It has been an eventful offseason so far, to say the least, for the Charlotte Hornets. Between three trades, two top-20 draft picks, an extension for Head Coach Charles Lee, and several other roster moves, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson and the Hornets front office have been one of the busiest NBA clubs since the start of the new league year.

With that in mind, I ranked every move Charlotte has made this offseason based on the process, asset management, and, ultimately, whether I agreed with the decision. Buckle up.

No. 1: Extending Charles Lee

Apr 17, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 12th head coach in franchise history led Charlotte to a 25-win improvement in his second season. Lee has already established a modern, sustainable NBA-winning philosophy built around player development, maximizing each player's skill set and role, and consistently winning the possession battle night after night.

Lee's Hornets became one of the NBA's highest-volume three-point shooting teams while also ranking among the league's best rebounding teams. Despite Charlotte's lack of defensive talent, the Hornets climbed to No. 5 in defensive rating from Jan. 1 through the end of the season.

I could not be higher on Lee as the leader of this team moving forward. While I have disagreed with some of the personnel decisions this offseason, my confidence in the Hornets' long-term future starts with the partnership between Lee and Jeff Peterson. I believe they have the vision and schematic identity to bring sustained winning basketball to Charlotte for years to come, making Lee's extension a no-brainer.

No. 2: Drafting Hannes Steinbach with the No. 14 pick

On draft night, when Charlotte selected the 20-year-old with its first pick, I called Steinbach a no-fail prospect because of the concrete, translatable NBA skills he already has that can help Charlotte this season, and will only continue to improve.

He has really impressed me in Summer League, going against professionals. Steinbach's ability to be a snappy decision-maker and connector with the ball in his hands has been really effective. He has the strength and touch to finish efficiently at the rim, and coming out of Washington, Steinbach was just a special rebounding prospect. That has translated immediately, which comes as no surprise.

Defensively, he is mobile, coordinated, and good enough laterally to hold up on the perimeter against smaller players at times. I know he is going to be a good NBA player for a long time because of his offensive skill set, and he will help Charlotte win games in short order.

No. 3: Miles Bridges Deal with the Phoenix Suns

In a bit of savvy business, Charlotte acquired Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick while sending out Miles Bridges, the less favorable 2029 first-round pick between three teams, and a 2027 second-round pick.

That 2033 Suns first-round pick is the most valuable chip in the entire deal. Charlotte also added Allen, one of the NBA's elite shooters, who brings secondary playmaking and driving ability to his game. If he is not rerouted, Allen should provide quality minutes off the bench for the Hornets.

The deal also brought in O'Neale, who, if nothing else, provides solid depth at forward. Both Allen and O'Neale will be on expiring contracts after next season, making them useful salary-matching pieces moving forward.

Bridges was entering the final year of his contract and always felt like the most likely player on Charlotte's roster to be moved. He was still a major part of the Hornets' 44-win season, and losing him in one way or another makes Charlotte worse in the short term. Still, the move fits the front office's overall asset-accumulation strategy while trying to remain competitive enough to stay in the play-in mix.

No. 4: Re-signing Coby White

When Charlotte re-signed White to a three-year, $74 million contract, it officially locked in the franchise's new starting lead guard after pivoting away from LaMelo Ball, a move I will get to later. In a vacuum, it is fair market value for a high-usage starting point guard/combo guard who was incredibly impactful in his 21 games with Charlotte last season.

I am curious to see whether White leans more into his playmaking chops and becomes more of a table-setter because Charlotte is going to need every ounce of playmaking he can provide with Ball no longer in the picture and a questionable backup point guard situation.

I cannot really complain about this deal, knowing the Hornets had to bring him back after moving on from Ball, and they did it at a good value.

No. 5: Acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and three second-round picks from the Houston Rockets

For Charlotte, using its mid-level exception to absorb the veteran forward's contract netted a 2027 second-round pick from Memphis, a 2028 second-round pick from Houston, and a 2033 second-round pick from Houston.

Finney-Smith is coming off a pretty rough campaign with Houston after signing a four-year, $52 million deal with the Rockets in free agency. The 31-year-old underwent ankle surgery before the season and never really looked like himself.

Charlotte can now evaluate whether Finney-Smith looks healthier during training camp and throughout the summer. If he does, he could really help Charlotte as a 3-and-D wing stopper off the bench. If he still does not look right, the Hornets can always move him before the season, especially with the final two years of his contract being non-guaranteed.

Again, this was another example of great asset management and a creative way to acquire more draft capital. It is also a low-risk move for a player who could help Charlotte's rotation.

No. 6: Drafting Christian Anderson with the No. 18 pick

Not to overreact to Anderson's performance through four Summer League games, but I am mildly concerned about his outlook as a rotation player on a winning basketball team. You just do not see many players with Anderson's frame and height consistently playing rotation minutes on NBA playoff teams, and even the ones who do usually shoot the ball so well that you have to keep them on the floor.

That is the encouraging part with Anderson. He was one of the best shooters in the past draft, and although he has not shot the ball efficiently in Summer League, I doubt that continues. Anderson was an excellent shooter both off the catch and off the bounce from long range at Texas Tech University. I also like his competitiveness and feistiness defensively, but there is only so much impact a player of his size can have on that end.

My one real concern is with Anderson's game management and offensive initiation. He has struggled with ball pressure and has been quite turnover-prone through these games.

Right now, Anderson is slotted to be Charlotte's backup point guard, and honestly, I do not see him being ready for that.

No. 7: Trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Let me first say I fully understand Jeff Peterson's plan at the moment. Continue adding to the war chest of draft picks Charlotte will have over the next seven years while creating financial flexibility to eventually make a move for a true No. 1 superstar to pair alongside the Hornets' young core.

That is a coherent plan, and adding Naz Reid helps keep Charlotte competitive in the present. The $40.8 million trade exception is also something Charlotte can utilize over the next year.

But I have just always inherently believed in LaMelo Ball as an offensive superstar talent, and he showed that this past season with an All-NBA-caliber year. He drove winning in Charlotte as the team's best player, and clearly, the front office was not sold.

Whether it was Ball's durability history or simply not believing he was a player who could lead Charlotte to playoff success, the Hornets pivoted off their franchise player. And until Charlotte fully executes its plan of acquiring a new All-NBA-caliber star to pair with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, much of the fan base will continue to question that decision.

I will also say Charlotte is betting against a Minnesota team that should contend for years as long as it has Anthony Edwards. It is also betting against an ascending 24-year-old player who was one of the most impactful offensive players in the league this past year.

I would not have made that bet. Maybe it ends up being the right decision, or maybe, more likely in my opinion, it backfires in a major way. Only time will tell.

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