Updated Hornets Depth Chart Projection Following Trade for Dennis Schröder

How things could look for the Bugs now that they have a veteran point guard in the mix.

Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) celebrates his three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jeff Peterson isn't done wheeling and dealing. On Friday, he sent Tre Mann to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for veteran journeyman point guard Dennis Schröder, finally addressing the Charlotte Hornets' need for a backup to Coby White.

Two more players will need to be moved before the start of the season, so Peterson still has more work to do. But for now, here is what I believe the depth chart would look like if a game were to be played tomorrow.

PG: Coby White, Dennis Schröder, Christian Anderson Jr.

The addition of Schröder isn't going to excite fans, but it's not a long-term move. It's to get another veteran presence in the backcourt and avoid having to throw the rookie, Anderson, into the fire right away. The move makes a ton of sense.

SG: Kon Knueppel, Grayson Allen, Sion James, Pat Connaughton

I'll be honest, I'm surprised the only non-Duke product, Connaughton, is still on the roster. I figured he would have been gone before the end of June, let alone still be here halfway through August. He might be one of the two guys Peterson ships out. But Knueppel and Allen make one heck of a one-two punch. Sion James having a reduced role, particularly offensively, is a good thing.

SF: Brandon Miller, Royce O'Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, Liam McNeeley

Finally, the Hornets have some depth on the wing. You can probably expect one of these guys to be moved as well, and the guy that makes the most sense would be Dorian Finney-Smith. O'Neale is the ideal backup for Brandon Miller, and it's way too early to give up on McNeeley. It's not necessarily "one of these three guys has to go," but this is one position you can shrink and still feel pretty good about what's left.

PF: Naz Reid, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaün

Outside of the point guard spot, this is the most clear order of a position. My only question is — how much of a role is Salaün going to have, if any at all? It's time for him to turn the corner and prove he can be a reliable bench piece, but I'm just not sure the necessary minutes are going to be there for him.

C: Moussa Diabaté, Hannes Steinbach, Ryan Kalkbrenner

I am very intrigued by this group and how the minutes play out. Diabaté seems like the obvious choice to throw in the starting lineup, but I'm not completely ruling out Steinbach from winning that job out of camp. That's a tall ask, but it's certainly within the realm of possibilities.

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