What the Charlotte Hornets can do this offseason
- ›Can add an outside free agent up to $15.0M via the Non-Tax MLE.
- ›Below the first apron: full expanded salary-matching is available.
- ›Draft capital: 23 extra incoming picks, owes 2.
CapTax1A2A
Non-Tax MLE$15.0MBi-Annual$5.5MMinimum$3.9M
Projected record
38-44
Projected net rating
-1.5
Current baseline
38 wins · -1.5 net
Full standings · models the position-aware rotation, a real-age aging curve, perimeter defense, and a bounded penalty for a structural hole; a talent-on-hand projection, not a full-season forecast (no coaching or playoff translation).
Team profile · on-court identity + fit
Offense
B-
55
Defense
B-
57
Spacing
A-
73
Playmaking
F
27
Rim protection
A-
72
Perimeter D
B
58
Rebounding
C+
49
Spacing +2.5Defensive core +1.7Connectors +0.8Defense +0.7Balanced +0.5Thin playmaking -1.5
Grades are minutes-weighted from the projected rotation; the chips are the fit read — how much each strength or gap is worth in net rating, on top of raw talent. Dimensions come from each player’s real 2025-26 box profile. Injuries are real reported facts, factored into projected minutes.
Projected rotation · minutes by position, best players first
PGPoint
55Grayson AllenST31y21m
48Coby White26y25m
46Sion James24y2m
SGShooting
54Brandon MillerST24y14m
55Grayson Allen31y8m
51Royce O'Neale33y22m
48Liam McNeeley21y4m
SFSmall F
61Kon KnueppelST21y32m
54Brandon Miller24y17m
PFPower F
51Royce O'NealeST33y6m
56Naz Reid27y13m
50Grant Williams28y16m
56Ryan Kalkbrenner25y12m
CCenter
56Naz ReidST27y13m
56Moussa Diabaté25y26m
56Ryan Kalkbrenner25y9m
Out of rotation · no projected minutes in the 240-a-night budget
46Pat Connaughton45Hannes Steinbach45Christian Anderson Jr.44Dorian Finney-Smith44Mouhamadou Gueye43Tidjane Salaün42Tre Mann
Projected minutes from the position-aware rotation model: five on-court spots share a fixed 240-minute-a-night budget, best players first, with versatile players (their secondary spot shown on hover) sliding to a second position. ST = projected starter. Not a coach’s actual rotation.
Roster (18)
56PFNaz Reid$23.3M
48SGCoby WhiteNO-TRADE$22.8M
55PGGrayson Allen$18.1M
54SFBrandon Miller$15.1M
50PFGrant Williams$14.3M
44SFDorian Finney-Smith$13.3M
51SFRoyce O'Neale$10.9M
61SFKon Knueppel$10.5M
43PFTidjane Salaün$8.2M
42PGTre Mann$8.0M
45PFHannes SteinbachNO-TRADE$5.2M
45PGChristian Anderson Jr.NO-TRADE$4.3M
46SGPat Connaughton$3.8M
48SFLiam McNeeley$2.9M
56CMoussa Diabaté$2.5M
44PFMouhamadou Gueye$2.4M
46SGSion James$2.4M
56CRyan Kalkbrenner$2.4M
Draft capital
Own first-rounders
’27 kept’28 kept’29 kept’30 kept’31 kept’32 kept
Incoming picks & swap rights
’27 1st · conditional’27 1st · conditional’27 2nd · from MEM’27 2nd · swap more’28 1st · swap more’28 2nd · from HOU’28 2nd · swap more’28 2nd · from ORL’29 1st · conditional’29 1st · swap more’29 2nd · conditional’29 2nd · swap more’29 2nd · conditional’30 1st · conditional’30 2nd · swap more’31 2nd · from MIL’31 2nd · from PHX’32 2nd · from MIL’32 2nd · from MIN’33 1st · from MIN’33 1st · from PHX’33 2nd · from HOU’33 2nd · from MIN
Full ledger — 23 in, 2 out
in 2027 — first round draft pick from Dallas
in 2027 — first round draft pick from Miami
in 2027 — second round draft pick from Memphis
in 2027 — second round draft pick from New Orleans or Portland (more favorable)
in 2028 — first round draft pick from Minnesota (swap, Charlotte outgoing)
in 2028 — second round draft pick from Houston
in 2028 — second round draft pick from L.A. Clippers (effectively a swap, Charlotte outgoing to Detroit)
in 2028 — second round draft pick from Orlando
in 2029 — first round draft pick from Utah, Cleveland or Minnesota [this overlaps with another incoming pick to Charlotte]
in 2029 — first round draft pick from Minnesota (swap, least favorable of Charlotte, Utah and Cleveland outgoing to Minnesota or Phoenix) [this overlaps with another incoming pick to Charlotte]
in 2029 — second round draft pick from Denver
in 2029 — second round draft pick from Atlanta or Miami (more favorable)
in 2029 — second round draft pick from Minnesota
in 2030 — first round draft pick incoming (swap, Charlotte outgoing to Minnesota)
in 2030 — second round draft pick from L.A. Clippers or Utah (more favorable)
in 2031 — second round draft pick from Milwaukee
in 2031 — second round draft pick from Phoenix
in 2032 — second round draft pick from Milwaukee
in 2032 — second round draft pick from Minnesota
in 2033 — first round draft pick from Minnesota
in 2033 — first round draft pick from Phoenix
in 2033 — second round draft pick from Houston
in 2033 — second round draft pick from Minnesota
out 2027 — second round draft pick to Sacramento
out 2030 — second round draft pick to Boston