The Charlotte Hornets May Have Finally Fixed Their Longest-Running Issue

For a very long time, the Charlotte Hornets have sought to lock down the frontcourt. It has been a struggle since the Al Jefferson days. It's been better in the 2020s, but there have still been fundamental issues present.

Mark Williams didn't pan out as the Hornets hoped. Moussa Diabaté has been a diamond in the rough, but he's still one of two frontcourt players, and he's a pretty undersized center. But through careful roster planning and some difficult decisions, the Hornets may finally have the frontcourt they've long sought.

Spotrac's Keith Smith spoke with an anonymous Hornets executive at Summer League, and this was one of the things the exec pointed out. The Hornets now have a really exciting, deep frontcourt for the first time.

“Last year we went into the season knowing Moussa [Diabaté] was better than anyone else knew. We hoped Ryan Kalkbrenner would give us something. We hoped Grant Williams would come back and give us a small-ball option at the five. All three happened,” the exec said. “Now, we add Naz Reid and Hannes Steinbach to that mix? That’s real depth, and they’re all different kinds of players. That’ll give Charles [Lee] a lot to work with this season.”

The fourteenth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Washington forward Hannes Steinbach | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It came at a steep cost, though. To get Naz Reid, the Hornets had to part with LaMelo Ball. To create roster space for some of the other bigs they will use, they had to trade Miles Bridges. The reshaping of the frontcourt wasn't easy.

The Hornets now have a bunch of weapons in the frontcourt, though. Naz Reid is a stretch four/five, something the Hornets have honestly never had. Diabaté is a ridiculously good offensive rebounder and effort player.

Hannes Steinbach is also a fantastic rebounder who brings so much more offensive upside than Diabaté. Grant Williams is perhaps the best defensive big in the bunch. Ryan Kalkbrenner is 7'1" and has height the others simply do not.

This is a deep and talented group of bigs. It cost the team some guard depth, but the Hornets now have a frontcourt they can use against other teams, mixing and matching to create and exploit advantages.

Whether or not that will be as impactful as the inverse would've been will never be known, but the Hornets have at least finally answered a question they've been facing for a long time.

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