The Hornets Are Taking a Step Back to Take a Much Bigger Step Forward

This is going to be a multi-year process for the Hornets.

Apr 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After years of miserable basketball and horrible injury luck, the Charlotte Hornets finally courted a winner in 2025-26, as far as wins-losses go. Their 44-39 record marked just the second time in the last ten years that they finished above .500. Around these parts, that's pretty good stuff. There's only one problem: Jeff Peterson isn't satisfied with that, nor should he be.

On a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, NBA insider Tim McMahon gave his prediction for the Hornets' win total (39.5), but also gave some thoughts on why the Hornets may have torn it down to a certain degree.

“Look, they made those trades to say, ‘Look, we’re not on the verge of something big now. We want to build around these young guys.’ And they are willing to take a step back to try to give themselves a long-term, higher ceiling. I do think it’s a step back from 44 wins last year. I think they are in the high 30s, but I’ll go under here.”

He's right...the pivot proves Peterson is taking the long haul approach

Apr 3, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) moves the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coby White and Naz Reid are solid players, but if you are truly making a push to be a contender in the East or build off of what you just accomplished, those aren't the type of guys you are going to surround Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel with.

Peterson may never admit to it, and as a matter of fact, I know he never will, but the Hornets are building for what could happen three or four years down the line. If he truly believed they could get there with LaMelo Ball, he wouldn't have made that trade or some of the other moves he's made this offseason.

Miller is only 23, and Knueppel is 21. They still have time to develop into all-star-level players, and the Hornets' hope is that when they do, they will be able to make some splashes in free agency and move off some of that draft capital they've built up to land someone via trade.

With the way the East is constructed right now, it's going to be tough for the Hornets to make much noise. This is a multi-year process.

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