What is The Biggest Mistake That the Charlotte Hornets Could Make This Offseason?

In 2021, there were few teams in the NBA who were happier than the Atlanta Hawks.

After years of rebuilding, things were starting to look promising, as Atlanta put together an Eastern Conference Finals run behind star Trae Young, with a strong supporting cast of young, developing players and veterans who could help continue put together these playoff runs.

The NBA world was in awe of Young, where in the postseason he averaged 28.8 points and 9.5 steals, including putting up an impressive 48 point, 7 rebound, 11 assist game against the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.

While the Hawks struggled the next season, the following summer they traded Danilo Gallinari, a 2023 first-round pick via Charlotte, an unprotected 2025 and 2027 first-round pick, and a 2026 first-round pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs for Dejounte Murray.

Murray was 26 at the time, and was coming off a season where he averaged 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and was selected to his first ever All-Star team alongside his now teammate Trae Young.

Just two years later, Murray was dealt to New Orleans after the Hawks went 72-80 with just one playoff appearance. While they landed the number one overall pick that summer, it was clear that the Hawks looked ahead of schedule, and made a win-now move that greatly impacted them in both the now and the future, losing access to their future firsts to a San Antonio Spurs team who looks to be a future dynasty with Victor Wembanyama.

The Hawks went on to trade Trae Young this past season, accepting that the team peaked with him during that Eastern Conference Finals run.

This is where Jeff Peterson needs to be paying attention.

The Charlotte Hornets have essentially been a rebuilding team since they made the postseason last in 2016, but seemingly have entered a new era with new ownership, a new front office, and a new head coach that have all come within the past few years.

Headed into the 2025-26 season, the Hornets were essentially viewed as a team who would be in the running for BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Duke's Cam Boozer, or Kansas' Darryn Peterson, as the team was given odds of +100000 to win the NBA title, and a line of 26.5 total wins.

After a slow start to the season behind injuries to stars LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the Hornets began to piece things together in January, winning 28 of their final 38 games and eventually losing to the Orlando Magic in the NBA's Play-In Tournament.

For the first time in years, the Hornets showed serious signs of becoming a potential perennial playoff team, which has been in large part due to the vision that President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson laid out when he arrived in 2024.

What is important, though, is that Peterson understands he cannot rush the process. There are cases where a young, rising team makes a big deal with future assets that works out of course. The prime example of this being the Phoenix Suns in 2020, where after an 8-0 run during the NBA's bubble that had them just missing the playoffs, dealt for Chris Paul and went on to put together a run to the NBA Finals.

The Hornets currently own 11 first-round picks over the next seven years, and own 15 second-round picks in that timeframe as well. It puts them in an excellent position to deal for another star to pair with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel, but this offseason should not be the one where the Hornets make that move.

Having said that, the center market could be the best it's been in years, especially for a team such as the Hornets who may be a center away from serious contention. Jarrett Allen, Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Davis may all be on the market this offseason, but would the cost be worth it?

This offseason, Peterson and Hornets must know this: you can make a move with your future assets that turns your team into a contender for the next decade. You can also make a move with your future assets that can set your team back for the next decade. Peterson should continue to trust his process, but be careful if that big splash comes this offseason.

For the first time in years, the Hornets are not searching for a direction.

Between LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and their large amounts of draft capital, Charlotte has built a foundation. The difficult part is here, where it's not finding the shortcut, but resisting it.

The NBA is filled with teams that mistook their promise for arrival and traded themselves back into mediocrity. The Hornets look like they are finally building this the right way, and this offseason should not be about chasing a headline move, rather trusting the process that they have built.

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