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Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) works around Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Minneapolis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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AP Photo\/Matt Krohn<\/p>\n
When the Charlotte Hornets selected LaMelo Ball third overall in 2020, they built the team around him. This ended on July 10, when the Hornets’ front office traded Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft consideration.<\/p>\n
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The biggest question for Hornets fans: Who will fill the scoring and playmaking void now that the former NBA Rookie of the Year is gone? In the 2025-26 season, the Hornets finished the regular season 44-38 as the ninth seed. Ball led the team in assists and steals, averaging 7.1 and 1.2, respectively, and was second in scoring. Here are some Hornets to watch as the 2026-27 season begins.<\/p>\n
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Brandon Miller<\/p>\n
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In his third season, Brandon Miller continued to show promise as a franchise cornerstone while also improving his shooting splits, leading the Hornets in scoring with 20.2 points per game and shooting a very respectable 38.3% from 3-point range and 89.2% from the line. With Ball gone, Miller will play much less off-ball and become the primary focal point of the Hornets’ offense, likely seeing an increase from his 30.3 minutes played last season. Miller’s big test will be whether he can maintain his shooting efficiency with a higher usage rate while also filling the playmaking gap.<\/p>\n
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Kon Knueppel<\/p>\n
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Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Minneapolis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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AP Photo\/Matt Krohn<\/p>\n
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In his rookie season, Kon Knueppel smashed expectations with his shooting from beyond the arc. The Hornets’ 2025 fourth overall pick shot an impressive 42.5% from 3-point range on 7.9 attempts per game. Averaging 18.5 points per game over 81 games, Knueppel made a strong case for Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n
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Knueppel excelled on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and off-ball movement, which will matter as the team figures out its system. With already high shooting volume and usage, Knueppel’s growth will be measured by his ability to elevate the Hornets’ offensive schemes and raise the team’s ceiling. Notably, when Ball was off the court, Knueppel’s 3-point percentage dropped by 8%.<\/p>\n
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Knueppel needs to elevate his shot creation now that he won’t benefit from Ball’s gravity and playmaking. As Knueppel develops into a more complete and dynamic offensive threat, he’ll transform into a plug-and-play option for the Hornets who can fill in wherever he’s needed, as long as his lack of lateral quickness and athleticism doesn’t become a defensive liability.<\/p>\n
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Coby White<\/p>\n
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While Coby White has only played 21 games as a Hornet since he was traded from the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 4, he has already shown how valuable his scoring can be off the bench. White proved to be a viable scoring threat, averaging 15.6 points in 19.3 minutes per game while shooting 46% from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 83% from the free-throw line. In Charlotte’s fast-paced, uptempo system, White is expected to see increases in his production and playmaking responsibilities.<\/p>\n
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Since being drafted in 2019, White has been able to score, but as the Hornets restructure the roster, his defense will be a main focus. While not the worst defender, White has not been great and often gets singled out by opposing offenses. For White to be a consistent starter for the Hornets, he’ll need to improve his defense.<\/p>\n
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Moussa Diabat\u00e9\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate dunks against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, April 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
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AP Photo\/Nell Redmond<\/p>\n
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In the 2025-26 season, Moussa Diabat\u00e9 saw an increase in minutes to 26, up from 17.5.\u00a0 With this increase came an improvement in nearly every statistical category, most notably his 8.7 rebounds per game. His rebounding numbers were vital to the team, allowing them to shoot a high volume of threes with less risk. Diabat\u00e9 also increased his field goal percentage by about 4% and his points per game by 2.2. Without Ball, Diabat\u00e9 will be relied on even more and will likely start more games for the Hornets as a defensive anchor.<\/p>\n
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As the Hornets move away from high-volume options like Ball and Miles Bridges and shift to a more fluid, team-centered offense, Diabat\u00e9 will see more playmaking and more opportunities. Winning the 2025-26 NBA Hustle Award last season, Diabat\u00e9 embodies the hustle and grit of the new Hornets culture. Diabat\u00e9 is expected to continue his upward trend going into next season with more playing time, with his elite rebounding and hustle allowing the Hornets to play to their strengths and build an identity.<\/p>\n
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Naz Reid<\/p>\n
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Expectations are high for Naz Reid going into the 2026-27 season, as part of the LaMelo Ball trade. The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year has been integral to both the Timberwolves’ offense and defense during his tenure. Last year, he played 26 minutes per game and averaged 13.6 points.<\/p>\n
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Although his inside-the-arc efficiency for a center leaves much to be desired, he has a career shooting percentage of 37% from beyond the arc, peaking at 41.1% during the 2023-24 season. As the most experienced center on the Hornets’ roster, Reid will likely start often this upcoming season. His added size and outside shooting will improve spacing and help the Hornets establish paint presence.<\/p>\n
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Grayson Allen<\/p>\n
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A product of the Bridges trade over the summer, Grayson Allen comes off a career-high 16.5 PPG season with the Phoenix Suns. While Allen typically has pretty good shooting splits, he saw a notable increase in volume last season. That hurt his efficiency, dropping it to 34.9% from beyond the arc, down from 42.6% the season prior.<\/p>\n
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With scoring gaps to fill in the Hornets’ offense, it is questionable whether Allen can maintain efficiency on potentially higher usage rates. He has shown he can score consistently, averaging 49.9% from the field, 46.1% from 3-point range and 87.8% from the free-throw line on similar volume during the 2023-24 season. Defensively, Allen should provide steady pressure, which will be essential in the upcoming season for restructuring team identity.<\/p>\n
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After parting ways with Ball, Charlotte decided to put their faith in its young core. ESPN currently has the Hornets finishing 34-48 as the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference. This roster certainly has potential to surpass those expectations, with many of these players achieving individual successes over the years. The question is whether they can create a winning culture. Whatever the outcome is, a new era is upon the Hornets franchise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) works around Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the second half…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[74193,11949,19802,36316,22487,11951,362310,78366,355,99],"class_list":["post-858091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-brandon-miller","tag-charlotte-hornets","tag-coby-white","tag-grayson-allen","tag-kon-knueppel","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-moussa-diabat","tag-naz-reid","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}