30 Teams in 30 Days: Developing talent remains job No. 1 in Charlotte

LaMelo Ball (left) and Miles Bridges are 2 of the lone NBA veterans on Charlotte’s youthful squad.

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Offseason

  • Re-signings: Miles Bridges, Seth Curry
  • Additions: Coach Charles Lee, Taj Gibson (free agent), Josh Green (trade), Anton Watson (free agent)
  • Draft: Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 pick), KJ Simpson (No. 42)
  • Departures: Coach Steve Clifford
  • Unsigned Free Agents: Amari Bailey, JT Thor

Last season

An ankle injury to LaMelo Ball dashed any hopes of prosperity for the Hornets, who found themselves in a familiar spot — they haven’t been to the playoffs now in eight years. Brandon Miller was a bright spot as the No. 2 overall pick made All-Rookie, averaged 17.3 points per game as a primary option and brought a mature game. But Ball played just 22 games and the Hornets won just 21.

Summer summary

The summer of 2024 was the first offseason for new ownership and management with Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall providing the funds for Jeff Peterson, who brings youthful energy to the front office and, hopefully for the Hornets, some better decision-making. They replaced Clifford with Lee, who won two championships (with the Bucks, then the Celtics) as a highly regarded assistant.

Charlotte used the No. 6 overall pick to select Salaun, one of the bright French Renaissance prospects who just turned 19. He’s 6-foot-9, flexible and will likely spend time (at least initially) in the club’s player development program. Green could push for a spot in the rotation on a team like the Hornets, but he was disappointing in Dallas and he’ll have to earn it.

Spotlight on

Giving Bridges a reported three-year extension made sense purely from a basketball standpoint; he’s Charlotte’s best all-around player (21 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.3 apg last season) and is just reaching his prime at 26. But he also missed all of the previous season after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge, then was suspended 10 games to start last season. Suffice it to say his maturity will determine his NBA future.

How far can the Hornets go?

It’s not whether the Hornets can contend for a playoff spot this season, it’s whether this team is putting the pieces in place to contend a few seasons from now. There are too many potential roadblocks: a first-time coach, only one former All-Star on the roster (Ball) and no steep expectations to do anything special.

This means the 2024-25 season will be about player development, to see any further growth from Miller and big man Mark Williams, if Ball is truly an impact player, and if the team can at least be competitive most nights. Honestly, though? It’s about how high the Hornets will select in the 2025 draft.

Up next: Washington Wizards | Previously: Atlanta Hawks

30 Teams in 30 Days: Complete schedule

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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