Former Bulls Player, Broadcaster Stacey King Dies At 59
Former NBA big man Stacey King, who won three championships as a role player with the Bulls during his eight years in the league, has died at age 59, the team announced in a press release.
King was a longtime and beloved Bulls broadcaster known for his humor, enthusiasm, and generally objective views — he often credited the opposing team for playing well when warranted. His time with the organizations spanned more than three decades, per the statement.
“Stacey loved being a Bull. You could feel it in everything he did – the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans,” said president and CEO Michael Reinsdorf. “He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team. Whether it was through a broadcast, a conversation or a photo with a fan, Stacey made people feel seen and valued.
“We were fortunate to know him not only as a player and broadcaster, but as a friend. Stacey genuinely cared about people, and he made our organization better. We will miss him dearly, and his impact, memory and legacy will remain a part of the Chicago Bulls forever.”
The Bulls selected King with the sixth overall pick of the 1989 draft. He spent parts of five seasons in Chicago to open his career and had stints with Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas at the end of his NBA playing career.
The left-handed big man was a star in college at Oklahoma, where he was from. King was a Consensus first-team All-America selection as a senior for the Sooners in 1988/89.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to King’s family and friends.
International Notes: K. Edwards, C. Edwards, NBA Europe, Zizic
Former NBA forward Kessler Edwards and Hapoel Tel Aviv have parted ways, the Israeli team announced (via Twitter). Edwards, who turns 26 years old in August, signed a rest-of-season deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv in February.
A 2021 second-round pick (44th overall), Edwards spent four seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Dallas in 2024/25. He signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets last fall and spent a good portion of ’25/26 with their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, prior to signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
In 30 games (33.6 minutes per contest) with the Gold this season, Edwards averaged 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks on .500/.403/.781 shooting splits. He played a fairly modest role with Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, making nine appearances while averaging 3.4 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 11.7 MPG.
Here are a few more notes from overseas:
- Lithuanian EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas has made a contract offer to Carsen Edwards worth just under $2MM, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. The former Purdue star, who played three years in the NBA, has spent the past four seasons in Europe. The 28-year-old guard has played for Virtus Bologna in Italy during the 2025/26 campaign.
- While he only made one NBA appearance with Milwaukee in 2020/21, Elijah Bryant has become a star in Europe, making the All-EuroLeague First Team this season and finishing third in MVP voting after averaging 15.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.4 APG on .544/.387/.893 shooting in 34 games (29.6 MPG). At his Substack, the veteran guard recently discussed the possibility of the NBA partnering with FIBA and the EuroLeague for NBA Europe, as Eurohoops relays. Bryant takes an in-depth look at the state of European basketball and what the NBA’s inclusion might mean. “What Europe might need is help turning a great competition into a great business. And that is the one thing the NBA is better at than anyone on earth. So maybe need is the wrong word. The real question is whether they are bigger together. I think they are. As long as the NBA grows the business without flattening the soul, this is a yes for both sides,” Bryant wrote.
- Three-year NBA veteran Ante Zizic will undergo surgery after suffering an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, his Turkish club Besiktas announced (story via Eurohoops). The Croatian big man was injured in the semifinals of the Turkish league playoffs.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors entered 2025/26 optimistic about their changes of replicating the second-half success they found in '24/25 after trading for Jimmy Butler ahead of that season's deadline. Golden State was just 25-26, the 10th seed in the Western Conference, when Butler made his Warriors debut on February 8, 2025, but the club moved up to No. 7 by going 23-8 to end the '24/25 regular season.
After beating Memphis in the 7/8 play-in game to advance as the seventh seed, the Warriors faced Houston in the first round, eventually advancing to the semifinals after a tough seven-game series. Unfortunately for Golden State, Stephen Curry got hurt in Game 1 of the second-round matchup vs. Minnesota, which the Timberwolves won in five games.
Rather than make major changes, the Warriors made some moves around the edges last offseason, essentially replacing longtime center Kevon Looney with Al Horford, bringing back De'Anthony Melton on a two-year, minimum-salary contract (he had been traded to Brooklyn after suffering a torn ACL during the 2024/25 season), and re-signing Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II.
Kuminga's restricted free agency dragged into the start of training camp, delaying all of the aforementioned signings. The situation was resolved with Kuminga accepting a two-year, $46.8MM deal that was designed to make him movable at the trade deadline. The Warriors also signed Seth Curry in November once they had a little bit of breathing room beneath their first apron hard cap.
Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, opened '25/26 in the starting lineup, but it didn't last long -- he was pulled after the team was 6-6 after 12 games. The 23-year-old was dealing with a nagging knee injury near the end of that stretch, which caused him to miss seven straight contests after coming off the bench for one game.
After a sluggish 19-18 start to '25/26, the Warriors seemed to be turning things around in mid-January, winning six of seven games to boost their record to 25-19. The final victory in that span came at a major cost, however, as Butler tore his ACL on January 19 against Miami, his former team.
Butler's season-ending knee injury lowered Golden State's ceiling, and less than two weeks later Stephen Curry was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome, aka runner's knee. That often isn't considered a significant injury but it turned into a nagging problem for the two-time MVP, who didn't play again until April 5.
The relationship between the Warriors and Kuminga, which was already contentious after the offseason didn't go the way he hoped, continued to deteriorate over time. He eventually demanded a trade on the first day he was eligible to be moved in January.
It took a while, but Golden State found a deal it liked, sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian big man had missed extended time due to mysterious circumstances in '24/25, later saying he had been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a chronic health condition with no known cure.
The Warriors were heavily linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo leading up to the February trade deadline, but the Bucks ended up keeping the superstar forward. Draymond Green, not Butler, was rumored to be the main salary-matching piece in those talks.
In addition to the knee injuries of Butler and Stephen Curry, Horford and Seth Curry both battled sciatica and other ailments, only playing 45 and 10 regular season games, respectively. Porzingis was in and out of the lineup, appearing in just 15 of Golden State's 31 contests down the stretch. Then another devastating injury occurred in late March, when Moses Moody tore his patellar tendon.
With their two best players -- and by far their highest earners -- sidelined, the Warriors tumbled down the standings, finishing with a 37-45 record and the 10th seed in the West. They beat the Clippers in the 9/10 play-in game, then lost to Phoenix with a chance to advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
In the wake of the difficult season, Steve Kerr initially wasn't sure whether he wanted to return as head coach, but he ultimately re-signed with the team on a new two-year contract. Now the big question is figuring out what the roster will look like next season with over $69MM in salary ($56.8MM for Butler and $12.5MM for Moody) tied up in two players who are still several months away from returning to action.
The Warriors' Offseason Plans
Golden State's spending power this offseason hinges in large part on what Green decides to do with his $27.7MM player option and how much money it will take to re-sign Porzingis, which general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Kerr both said was a priority.
In the 2023 offseason, Green declined a $27.7MM player option to re-sign with the Warriors on a four-year, $100MM deal, but a payday that significant seems unlikely this time around. And Porzingis' market value is even trickier to gauge after a season in which he played just 32 games, the second-lowest total of his career.
Western Notes: Warriors, Jazz, Fleming, Plumlee
The Warriors‘ dynasty is looking increasingly difficult to replicate in the tax apron era, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Many around the league thought the Thunder had an excellent chance to become the first repeat champion since Golden state went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by San Antonio.
The Spurs, who have a player in Victor Wembanyama unlike any other in NBA history, are now in a 2-0 deficit against the Knicks, who feature a lineup full of veterans that have won 13 straight playoff games. Regardless of which team wins the NBA Finals, it will be the eighth different champion in eight years.
The Warriors won three titles and made five consecutive trips to the Finals at the end of the last decade. No team has even made two straight trips to the Finals, let alone won back-to-back championships, since Golden State did it during that five-year span.
“Just mindset,” Shaun Livingston, who was on all of those teams, told Poole. “We wanted to win over everything — and be remembered for such. We knew we had a moment, so we could squeeze the juice.”
As Poole notes, that dynasty was set up by a unique contract situation, as Stephen Curry was the fourth-highest paid player on the team when he won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. That, combined with a huge cap spike, which was barred in the latest CBA, enabled the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason.
“That’s a huge reason,” Livingston said.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- After moving up to No. 2 in the draft lottery, the Jazz will face a difficult yet welcome decision regarding their starting lineup, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Assuming Walker Kessler is re-signed and ready to play by the start of next season following shoulder surgery, he will “definitely” join Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah’s massive starting frontcourt, Todd writes. The other two starters will likely come down to Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and whomever the Jazz select with the second pick.
- Rasheer Fleming showed flashes of upside as a rookie in 2025/26 and the Suns forward is hoping to take strides forward this summer, he told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just keep progressing on my game,” Fleming said. “Overall, just working on different areas of my game. My shot. Handle. Making reads. Slowing down. Just everything overall for me. The defense is going to keep progressing. Just working on a little bit of everything.” Fleming said he while he’d welcome a chance to earn a starting role, he’s more focused on holistic improvement. The 31st overall pick of last year’s draft plans to play in Summer League, he confirmed to Rankin. “It’s going to be really good,” Fleming said. “Especially having those NBA reps now. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun. Last year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I didn’t play much, but this year, it’s going to be really good.”
- In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, veteran center Mason Plumlee talks about his time with the Hornets and what his role has been with the Spurs.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Brunson, Shamet, Coach’s Challenge
Mikal Bridges knows from experience that a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals doesn’t guarantee a championship, writes Brendan Mau of SI.com. Bridges was part of the Phoenix team that won the first two games of the 2021 Finals, then lost four in a row to Milwaukee, so he’s in position to deliver a warning to his teammates.
“0-0 man, f—— keep playing, sorry … Desperate. That’s it, man,” Bridges said Friday in a postgame appearance on ESPN’s Inside the NBA. “Take this rest. We got two days, take a break, do whatever you gotta do to get ready for this next game, but keep going out there and don’t stop. We got nothing but the offseason, man. Keep pushing. Leave everything on that court.”
Bridges’ defense played a major role in helping the Knicks get two wins in San Antonio, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News notes in a subscriber-only story. So far in the series, he’s holding De’Aaron Fox to 0-of-4 from the field and Stephon Castle to 1-of-7 when serving as their primary defender.
“Just gut. Just fight,” Bridges said during an intense interview with MSG (Twitter video link). “A lot of integrity, poise, staying together. We’re gonna fight to the end. They made a run. They’re a really good team, but we’re gonna fight to the end. I wish we had a better fourth quarter. They’re a really good team. They pushed it, but we’ve gotta be better.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- The team is proving that it can win without great shooting nights from Jalen Brunson, states Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). Brunson is 19-of-56 overall and 4-of-17 from three-point range in the first two games, but he has made clutch shots in the final minutes of both contests to swing the outcome. “He’s a hell of a player,” Fox said. “Even when you make it difficult on good players, they’re talented, so they’re going to end up making shots. He’s done that, especially at the end of the games.”
- Coach Mike Brown singled out the contributions from Landry Shamet, who scored 13 points in 30 minutes off the bench Friday night (Twitter video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “I’m talking about his whole career because he’s been a journeyman,” Brown said, “but he probably deserved more of an opportunity because what he does out on the floor on both ends is very hard to find in this league, especially at his size, with is mental and physical toughness. We gave him an opportunity and showed him we loved him. He embraced it and he ran with it.”
- The Knicks might have let Friday’s game slip away if not for assistant coach Jordan Brink, reveals Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The team’s director of video services convinced Brown to challenge a call with 2:37 remaining in the game. Officials determined that OG Anunoby was fouled on the play and was sent to the line for three shots.
Central Notes: Kessler, Bulls’ Draft Options, Beasley, Boswell
The Bulls should keep a close watch on Walker Kessler‘s negotiations with the Jazz as they consider their options for a new starting center, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only piece. The 24-year-old big man is widely expected to re-sign with Utah, and because he’s a restricted free agent the Jazz will have the option to match any offer. If Kessler doesn’t reach an agreement with the team before free agency begins on June 30, Cowley suggests that Chicago should offer around $20MM per year and see if that leads to anything.
Free agent center Zach Collins told reporters in April that he would like to stay in Chicago, but Cowley is skeptical now that coach Billy Donovan is gone and the team has moved into a rebuilding phase. Cowley also expects Nick Richards, who was acquired from Phoenix at the trade deadline, to depart in free agency, calling him “a strange presence in the locker room.”
While the Bulls could address their need for a center in the draft, Cowley predicts that they’ll select North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Baylor guard Cameron Carr at No. 15, leaving new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham to explore free agency to find help in the middle.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Wilson may be a perfect addition for the Bulls‘ new timeline, contends Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). He brings an explosive athleticism that should transfer well to the NBA, averaging 2.8 dunks per game during his time with the Tar Heels. Poe believes Chicago may target a center with the 15th pick, and while Michigan’s Aday Mara figures to be off the board by then, Italian Luigi Suigo, Washington’s Hannes Steinbach or Houston’s Chris Cenac could be an appealing alternative.
- Malik Beasley, who missed all of this season, remains under investigation in the NBA’s gambling probe and won’t return to the league until that’s resolved, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press states in a mailbag column. The Pistons still hold Beasley’s non-Bird rights and can offer a contract starting at $7.2MM. Sankofa also touches on a potential new deal for restricted free agent Jalen Duren and predicts that Isaiah Stewart is likely to remain with the team.
- After working out for the Pacers this week, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell talked to the media about what he’s learned by studying T.J. McConnell (Twitter video link from Tony East of Circle City Spin).
Finals Notes: Champagnie, Alvarado, Castle, Brunson, Robinson, MSG Ticket Prices
The Spurs‘ Julian Champagnie and the Knicks‘ Jose Alvarado have a rivalry that began long before their meeting in the NBA Finals, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. They’re both New York City natives who squared off several times during high school in the Catholic League.
“I won’t lie, they definitely got the better of us quite a bit when he was at Christ the King and I was at Loughlin,” Champagnie said. “But always good memories. He was a great guard, quick, crafty, feisty.”
Braziller notes that those old memories sparked again in the first game of the Finals as Alvarado made a shot over Champagnie and punctuated it with some trash talk. Champagnie scored against Alvarado later on and responded in kind.
“I think it’s just friendly banter, honestly and truly. Obviously, I’ve known Jose for a while,” Champagnie said. “Yeah, he makes one, he talks. I make one, I talk. That’s just how New York is. That’s how it goes.”
There’s more from the NBA Finals:
- Spurs guard Stephon Castle has drawn a series of challenging defensive assignments in the playoffs, including two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the conference finals and Knicks star Jalen Brunson in this round. Castle talked to Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News (subscription required) about how he approaches players of that caliber. “They’re very similar in ways,” Castle said. “I think Shai is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way to the basket. I think Jalen likes to use angles a lot more, uses probably a little bit more pump fakes than Shai. Mostly it’s angles, trying to get to his spots, not really trying to draw fouls as much, but trying to get to his mid-range and get to spots to where he likes.”
- A fan who was verbally harassing Brunson during Game 1 has been barred from sitting at courtside for the rest of the Finals, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Brunson had to be restrained from charging the fan by Alvarado and referee Scott Foster after the game ended.
- A technical foul (Twitter video link) that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson received midway through the second quarter of Friday’s game has been rescinded, the league announced (Twitter link).
- Ticket prices for the upcoming games at Madison Square Garden are already setting records, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. As of Friday, the cheapest available ticket for Monday’s Game 3 on Gametime was $9,130. For Wednesday’s Game 4, when the Knicks could potentially wrap up their first NBA title since 1973, nearly all prices on StubHub top $20K, with courtside seats in the range of $70K to $140K.
Anthony Edwards Wants Timberwolves To Upgrade Roster
Anthony Edwards isn’t satisfied with the current makeup of the Timberwolves‘ roster and is hoping for a significant upgrade this summer, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter video link from Heat Central). Windhorst, who made the comments during the network’s coverage of the NBA Finals, suggested that Edwards may be influenced by watching former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns compete for a title after being traded to the Knicks.
“Going forward after this series, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ future is in question somewhat because of what Ant feels about the roster, and I wonder if KAT was still there, if he did,” Windhorst said.
Towns, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, was the centerpiece in Minnesota for nine years before being traded to New York shortly before the start of the 2024/25 season. He has been an All-Star in both his years with the Knicks, leading the team to the Eastern Conference finals last season and now the NBA Finals.
Minnesota also made out well in the deal as Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both turned in two productive seasons. They helped the Wolves reach the conference finals in 2025, but the team was ousted in the second round by San Antonio this year as DiVincenzo was unavailable due to a ruptured Achilles.
Windhorst doesn’t provide any specifics in the brief clip about the kind of improvements that Edwards wants to see. Minnesota’s front office made one of the best deals at the trade deadline by acquiring guard Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago, and re-signing him in free agency figures to be one of the priorities for the summer.
Any hint of unhappiness involving Edwards is cause for concern among the Timberwolves, who are building their future around the four-time All-Star. Edwards has three more seasons left on his contract at $48.9MM, $52.3MM and $55.7MM, so he doesn’t have much leverage to force his way out of town if he doesn’t get the roster upgrades he wants.
Edwards will be extension eligible this summer, but it’s unlikely to happen because he fell short of the 65-game threshold this season to qualify for All-NBA honors and major postseason awards. He’s only eligible for a two-year extension worth about $122MM, but he could put himself back in position for a four-year, $300MM supermax offer by making an All-NBA team next year.
Along with Edwards, Minnesota already has heavy salary commitments for next season with $36.5MM owed to Rudy Gobert, $33.3MM to Randle, $26.2MM to Jaden McDaniels and $23.3MM to Naz Reid. The type of addition that Edwards envisions would almost certainly require the team to move back into second apron territory.
In a recent interview with KFAN (YouTube link), head coach Chris Finch said he expects the Wolves to explore opportunities in the trade market and expressed confidence in president of basketball operations Tim Connelly to keep the team competitive, relays Jordan Samar of Yahoo Sports.
“I do expect us to be (active),” Finch said. “I don’t know what the end result will be, if there will be a lot of change. I mean, we love our core, and we know we need to keep adding to it a little bit. I have the utmost faith in Tim and his crew and (owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez) to be able to do it.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Game 2, Castle, Barnes
As Victor Wembanyama released a 20-foot shot that would have given San Antonio the lead in the closing seconds Friday night, his teammates had complete confidence that it was going in, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story.
“He’s made that shot a thousand times,” Stephon Castle said. “That’s a shot he makes in his sleep,” Dylan Harper added. “He makes that shot nine times out of 10,” De’Aaron Fox echoed.
But when it mattered most, the ball clanged off the back of the rim, and the final buzzer sounded before the Spurs could get off another good shot, leaving them with a 2-0 deficit as the NBA Finals heads to New York. It capped a rough ending to the game for Wembanyama, who committed a devastating turnover a few seconds earlier when his outlet pass bounced off the back of Castle, who wasn’t expecting the ball.
“Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course,” Wembanyama said. “Am I going to use that to fuel me and fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Coach Mitch Johnson called it “not acceptable” that Wembanyama only took four shots in the first half and acknowledged that players, the coaching staff and the French star himself have to make a better effort to keep him involved in the offense, McDonald adds. Wembanyama returned to his usual dominance after intermission, finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and helping the Spurs erase a late 12-point deficit. “We came in (at halftime) and we were like, ‘We need you to be aggressive,’” Fox said. “That is what it is. He came out in the second and was much better for us.”
- Turnover problems reemerged for Castle in the Game 2 loss as he gave the ball up four times in 28 minutes, notes Tom Orsborn of The Express-News (subscription required). Johnson said the second-year guard is getting caught in the air too often while deciding what to do with the ball, and Castle agrees. “I think just trying to overthink some reads sometimes,” Castle said. “I got caught in traffic, especially deep in the paint. It’s something I can go back and look at and see how I can fix.”
- Thirty-four-year-old Harrison Barnes has been telling his younger teammates to make the most of this trip to the NBA Finals and not assume they’ll be back every year, Orsborn relays in a separate story. Barnes reached the Finals with Golden State during his third and fourth seasons, but had to wait another decade to return. “Every single year you have to begin at the start of the journey, the start of the mountain and climb, and health is a major part of it,” Barnes said. “So, I don’t think it’s necessarily a mentality where we say, ‘This is their only shot,’ (or) ‘Just because we’re young, we have a lot of different opportunities.’ This may be the last time both teams are in the Finals for a while. We have no idea.”
Community Shootaround: Hornets’ First-Round Picks
The Hornets are one of six NBA teams with two first-round picks in the 2026 NBA draft. The team controls the final lottery pick (No. 14 overall) and has another selection a few spots later (No. 18).
Since he was named head of basketball operations two years ago, Jeff Peterson drafted Tidjane Salaun (No. 6 overall) and KJ Simpson (No. 42) in 2024 and Kon Knueppel (No. 4), Sion James (No. 33) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 34) in 2025.
Peterson also acquired a fourth selection — Liam McNeeley (29th overall) — from Phoenix last year as part of the Mark Williams trade. The Suns still owe the Hornets a 2029 first-rounder as part of that deal, though it includes least favorable language (Charlotte also sent Phoenix a 2029 second-round pick).
The Hornets have 12 players on guaranteed contracts for next season, with Coby White being their main free agent. Peterson has said the team wants to retain the high-scoring combo guard. If Charlotte re-signs White and keeps both first-rounders, it would be at the regular season limit of 15 players on standard deals.
Whether the Hornets actually keep both picks is an open question. Teams with multiple selections — particularly two first-round picks — are often cited as clubs that might be interested in moving up or trading for a future first-round pick. Packaging them in an aggressive win-now move is another possibility.
Peterson spoke glowingly about the 2026 class at his end-of-season press conference in April.
“I’m very excited about this draft,” Peterson said. “It’s if not the deepest, one of the deepest that I’ve ever been a part of. A lot of good players all over the draft, of course. But again, where we are from an asset standpoint, it’s going to allow us to be flexible. So whether that means we bring two players in, consolidate, we’ll have different options that we’ll continue to explore and look at.
“But I’m excited for whoever we bring in because I know that it’s going to be someone who is a Hornet, and about what we’re about and at some point will contribute to what we are building here.”
While Charlotte had a poor start to last season and extended the longest active drought in the NBA by missing the playoffs for the 10th straight year, there are reasons for optimism going forward. The Hornets ended 2025/26 on a 33-15 run and have a promising young core. They have a chance to add two more young players to that mix in a few weeks.
Some talent evaluators have several guards and forwards ranked in the middle of the first round. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo had Charlotte selecting Mexican forward Karim Lopez with the 14th pick and German big man Hannes Steinbach at No. 18 in his latest mock draft, though that was in mid-May. Jake Fischer reported on Friday that the Hornets are looking for a center upgrade, with Mitchell Robinson a potential target.
We want to know what you think. Will the Hornets stand pat and keep both of their first-round picks? If so, which prospects do you think they should target? If not, do you think they’ll try to package the picks to move up or perhaps make a more aggressive win-now trade? Head to the comment section to weigh in.