Which Charlotte Hornets Players Are Most Likely to Survive the Impending Roster Crunch?

As the greater NBA world awaits LeBron James' upcoming free agency decision, things are quiet in the Queen City. Jeff Peterson made a flurry of moves at the onset of free agency, and since then, the Charlotte Hornets have been dormant.

It won't be like that for long.

Charlotte's roster is currently at its offseason max with 18 rostered players. It can stay that way through training camp, and it just might. But eventually, the franchise will have to move on from three players.

Let's break down the likelhood each currently rostered player makes it to opening night, ranking them from five stingers (most likely) to one stinger (least likely).

Five Stingers (Roster Locks)

Coby White
Kon Knueppel
Brandon Miller
Naz Reid
Moussa Diabate
Christian Anderson Jr.
Hannes Steinbach

These are the seven players that I feel certain will be on the Hornets' roster come October - the presumed starting five and the rookies Charlotte just selected in the top 20 of the 2026 NBA Draft. Not much to say about this group.

Except this: I think this starting five is going to be really good.

The skill sets of White, Knueppel, Miller, Reid, and Diabate are all complimentary, hinging on a major playmaking leap from Coby. Both Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee have called White an 'underrated passer' a number of times since the franchise acquired him at the trade deadline, so they clearly believe he has some untapped potential as an offensive engine.

Beyond White, though, are players who can effectively space the floor, relentless two-way rebounders, positional size, and defensive versatility that, even without a go-to wing stopper, should hold up well in the regular season.

Four Stingers (>80% Chance)

Sion James
Grayson Allen
Liam McNeeley
Royce O'Neale
Grant Williams

These players likely aren't going anywhere, but it wouldn't be that surprising if Jeff Peterson has another trick up his sleeve, right?

The franchise clearly had visions of Sion James becoming more than just a Lu Dort variant, but I wonder if that has changed after a disappointing Summer League campaign where he struggled to initiate offense as a primary ball handler. Regardless, he's among the best perimeter defenders on the roster right now, and someone who radiates 'Hornets DNA,' making him a valuable commodity despite is offensive struggles.

Are we sure Grayson Allen isn't the answer to the lingering backup point guard question? He shared nominal point guard duties with Devin Booker in Phoenix, and proved last season that, when healthy, he can effectively create shots for his teammates. I think he's due for a big role in Charlotte.

Liam McNeeley feels set up to capitalize on his Summer League explosion. There are minutes to be had on the wing in Charlotte, and the second-year forward's burgeoning connective skill set deserves a chance to blossom early in the season.

O'Neale and Williams can get lumped together. Both players are versatile front court pieces that can scale up or down into a number of roles on both ends of the floor, and Charlotte should only trade them for plus value at this point.

Three Stingers (>60% Chance)

Tre Mann
Tidjane Salaun
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Two Stingers (~50% Chance)

Dorian Finney-Smith
Pat Connaughton

One Stinger (~20% Chance)

Mouhamadou Gueye

This is where things get interesting.

Charlotte has to move off of three players before the regular season starts. In terms of just basketball, Gueye, Finney-Smith, and Connaughton make the most sense. Their effectiveness as NBA players combined with Charlotte's need to develop younger players make these three the most likely to go.

However, the organization clearly values Pat Connaughton's voice in the locker room, and they could easily make the decision to keep him around as the proverbial glue that keeps the team together.

Then what?

Kalkbrenner would only be included in a trade that presents an immediate point guard or center upgrade. I included him in the 'three stingers' section based on my gut, nothing else. He probably deserves to be among the four stingers.

Teams across the league are always looking for cheap, quality rim protection (especially in this era poised to be dominated by Victor Wembanyama) and Kalkbrenner could have some real value on the trade market.

Would Charlotte consider moving him now that they have so many options in the front court?

A move including Tidjane and/or Tre Mann is much more likely. Atlanta just traded Zaccharie Risacher, the number one overall pick in Salaun's draft class, to acquire Lu Dort, which laid out the pathway for Charlotte to make a similar move with Tidjane.

The most likely scenario is that Gueye, Finney-Smith, and Connaughton get waived, and Charles Lee leans on Allen, O'Neale, Williams, and some of the younger guys (James, Miller, and Knueppel) to set the tone for his locker room.

Regardless, there are still moves to come for this team, and another surprise deal cannot be ruled out.

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