Southeast Notes: Hornets, Heat Draft Workouts, Hawks
The Hornets are coming off their most encouraging season in years, and while they have a locked-in core three of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller, they still have decisions to make on how best to complement the high-powered offensive trio.
Despite not being as firmly a part of the starting lineup of the future, Coby White and Moussa Diabate should be considered “not going anywhere” candidates, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer.
Diabate is on the last year of a very team-friendly deal while providing the team with a strong source of offensive rebounding and helping to stabilize the team’s center position. White is expected to stay with the Hornets after the team traded for him at this season’s deadline, and have his full Bird rights.
Miles Bridges is the top name on the watch list category for players who could be on the move, as are Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, and Grant Williams.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets hosted four players for pre-draft workouts on Wednesday: Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Anthony Dell’orso (Arizona), Mark Mitchell (Missouri), and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Alabama), per Boone (Twitter link). Anderson, a smooth shooter and pick-and-roll operator, is the highest-ranked player of that group, coming in at 18 on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN. Given that the Hornets have picks 14 and 18, Anderson could be under consideration with one of their first-round picks.
- Barring a trade, including a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, the Heat will have the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, along with pick 41. They have begun hosting pre-draft workouts, with Ezra Ausar (USC) coming in on Friday, per SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). They will also bring in Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s) next week, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hopkins, a fifth-year senior, is only a career 32.4% shooter from three, but he has raised that average to 36.6% over the last two seasons.
- The Hawks have two main paths they have to choose between as they look to keep building on last year’s encouraging season. They could free up to $32MM in cap space and be a free agency player, or they could stay over the cap while prioritizing re-signing their players and working the trade market, Spotrac’s Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview. Either way, one priority should be to add more size, even if they keep reserve big man Jock Landale. Since they own two first-round picks, it would make sense to target a big man with one of them, Smith writes.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets finished the 2024/25 campaign with the third-worst record in the NBA (19-63) and missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, which is the longest active drought in the league. Charlotte moved down one spot in the 2025 draft lottery, landing the fourth overall pick.
While Kon Knueppel was viewed as a contender to be selected at that spot, it wasn't considered a lock, with Ace Bailey and Tre Johnson among the other candidates. But the Hornets were absolutely right in believing in the 20-year-old wing, who exceeded all expectations in his debut season, nearly outdueling his former teammate and close friend Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 81 regular season games (31.5 minutes per contest). Knueppel posted an excellent .475/.425/.863 shooting line, became the first rookie in history to lead the league in three-pointers made (273), and helped Charlotte improve from 19 to 44 wins.
The addition of Knueppel was in retrospect the most noteworthy of the Hornets' 2025 offseason moves, but it certainly wasn't the only transaction. The team also added three other draft picks: one late first-rounder (Liam McNeeley, who went 29th overall), which was acquired in the Mark Williams trade with Phoenix, and two early second-rounders (Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Nos. 33 and 34, respectively), both of whom played rotation minutes as rookies.
Trading veteran center Jusuf Nurkic to Utah for Collin Sexton and a second-round pick was another one of head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson's moves last summer, though the 27-year-old guard's stay in Charlotte was brief. Sexton was traded to Chicago in February -- in one of the team's five deadline moves -- for Coby White, another impending free agent guard.
The start of 2025/26 looked like more of the same in Charlotte, as the team was just 11-23 following a one-point loss at Milwaukee on January 2. But the Hornets played like an entirely different team the rest of the season, blowing out the top-seeded Thunder in Oklahoma City a few days into the new year and beating several playoff teams later that month en route to a nine-game winning streak. The Hornets closed '25/26 with a 33-15 mark to finish 44-38, the No. 9 seed in the East.
While the team survived a wild overtime game vs. Miami to eliminate the Heat in the 9/10 matchup, the Hornets were embarrassed in Orlando with a chance to advance as the eighth seed, losing by 31 points and ending their surprising season on a sour note. The aforementioned nine-year playoff drought is now up to 10.
Creating a health plan for LaMelo Ball, who made 72 regular season appearances after averaging just 35 games per year in the three seasons leading up to 2025/26, was a key part of Charlotte's success. The 24-year-old point guard is a polarizing player for both on- and off-court reasons, but there's no question the Hornets have been a better team -- especially on offense -- when he's in the lineup.
Improved health from former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller was another key factor in Charlotte's 25-win improvement. After being limited to just 27 games in his second season due to wrist surgery, he made 65 appearances (30.3 minutes per game) in 2025/26, averaging 20.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .435/.383/.892 shooting splits. The 6'7" wing notably improved his efficiency while playing more solid defense than he had in his first two seasons, despite dealing with a partially dislocated left shoulder he played through for several months.
Another key piece to the puzzle for the Hornets in 2025/26 was Moussa Diabate, an undersized French center with a relentless motor. The team had the equivalent of the top-ranked offense and the fourth-ranked defense when the 24-year-old big man was on the court this past season, which is pretty remarkable considering the Hustle Award winner had played a fairly modest role prior to 2025/26.
Peterson and the rest of Charlotte's front office have done a nice job utilizing the team's financial flexibility to add draft assets over the past two years. Now the Hornets need to decide whether their second-half run will lead to sustainable long-term success or whether the team needs outside help to go from a pretty good team -- they had the eighth-best net rating in the NBA -- to a club that's capable of making real noise in the playoffs.
The Hornets' Offseason Plans
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). Their primary free agent is White, who has a $25MM cap hold, and they have one main extension candidate in Miller.
On the surface, Charlotte's offseason seems like it could be pretty straightforward: re-sign White, draft a couple of young players to add to their core, extend Miller if the deal is reasonable, and continue to build on the strong results of the latter portion of 2025/26. However, the Hornets also have financial flexibility, a significant cache of draft assets, and the right types of contracts (three mid-sized expiring deals) to be much more aggressive than that if they want to be.
Fischer’s Latest: Bucks, Mavs, Hawks, Kings, Sabonis
In addition to creating the impression that they’ll have an additional first-round pick beyond their own 10th overall selection in the draft later this month, the Bucks have some rival front offices believing they want to trade up from No. 10, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Milwaukee has met with Mikel Brown and worked out Darius Acuff while also expressing interest in Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings, according to Fischer, noting that all four of those guards are considered likely to come off the board within the first nine picks.
One source who spoke to Fischer speculated that the Bucks are simply doing their due diligence in case one of those players slips to No. 10, pointing out that acquiring a pick in the 5-9 range won’t be easy. According to Fischer, rival teams believes the Clippers (No. 5), Kings (No. 7), and Hawks (No. 8) are all happy to stay where they are, while the Nets (No. 6) have also indicated they’re comfortable standing pat.
A team hoping to move into the top 10 might need to talk to the Mavericks (No. 9), who have let potential trade partners know that they’re very much open to the idea of moving in either direction, sources tell Fischer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest collection of NBA rumors:
- Although the Hawks haven’t shown any interest in moving off of the No. 8 pick, league sources tell The Stein Line that they’ve told teams they’re more than open to offers for their second first-rounder at No. 23. There’s a sense that Atlanta would prefer to make just a single first-round selection, says Fischer.
- Following up on Wednesday’s Domantas Sabonis rumors, Fischer classifies the Kings‘ talks with the Hornets as “preliminary,” reiterating that Sacramento would like to acquire either the No. 14 or 18 pick while Charlotte has resisted that idea. If the Kings move Sabonis, they’re hoping to take back as little multiyear salary as possible, Fischer adds, so a player like forward Miles Bridges, who will be entering the final year of his contract, would appeal to Sacramento.
- The Kings continue to insist they’d want first-round draft capital to part with Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, Fischer reports. They’ve shown interest in the Raptors‘ No. 19 overall pick, per Fischer, but it’s unclear whether Toronto will renew its pursuit of the Lithuanian big man after exploring a deal prior to February’s trade deadline.
- In case you missed it, we passed along Fischer’s latest reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier today.
Kings, Hornets Have Discussed Domantas Sabonis
1:23 pm: Confirming Amick’s reporting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says the Kings and Hornets explored a possible framework that would’ve sent Bridges, Green, and a first-round pick to Sacramento in exchange for Sabonis. However, as Amick noted, Charlotte has resisted including either of its 2026 first-rounders in a deal.
The Hornets are considering pursuing a starting-caliber center this summer, per Scotto, who adds that Kings general manager Scott Perry nearly drafted Bridges over Kevin Knox in 2018 when he was in the Knicks’ front office.
9:12 am: While a recent report stating that the Kings and Hornets discussed a possible Domantas Sabonis trade during the season was shot down, Sam Amick of The Athletic hears from league sources that the two teams have had recent talks about the big man.
Amick cautions that no deal is imminent and says it seems unlikely that will change prior to this month’s draft. However, his sources tell him that Charlotte does appear to have some level of interest in Sabonis.
As Amick explains, the Kings would ideally like to acquire one of Charlotte’s first-round picks (No. 14 or 18) in a Sabonis trade, but the Hornets want to keep those picks out of any deal and discuss the Sacramento big man later in the offseason, after the draft.
Sabonis, 30, has earned three All-Star nods since 2020. He also made the All-NBA third team in both 2023 and 2024 and led the league in rebounding for three straight seasons from 2023-25, but he was limited to just 19 total appearances in 2025/26 due to knee problems. In those 19 outings (15 starts), he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 boards, and 4.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
Sabonis tore his left meniscus tear back in November and originally opted for a non-surgical treatment plan, rehabbing the injury and returning to action a couple months later, in mid-January. Upon returning though, he appeared in just eight of Sacramento’s 15 games heading into the All-Star break and played a relatively limited role (24.9 MPG).
With the Kings well out of the playoff race and the big man seemingly not all the way back to 100%, he and the team decided to address his meniscus injury surgically and he underwent a season-ending procedure in February.
Sabonis was also involved in trade rumors prior to the 2026 trade deadline — the Raptors were the team that was most frequently linked to the big man at that time, but the Kings were said to have no interest in taking back Jakob Poeltl‘s long-term contract as part of a deal. While it’s unclear if Toronto will resume discussions about Sabonis this offseason, there’s an expectation among rival teams that the big man will be made available by a retooling Sacramento team seeking salary cap relief.
The Hornets got solid production at the five in 2025/26 from youngsters Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but neither Diabate nor Kalkbrenner is the kind of scorer or play-maker that Sabonis is. The Lithuanian center holds averages of 19.0 PPG, 13.1 RPG, and 6.9 APG since being traded to the Kings in 2022.
Sabonis’ 2025/26 cap hit is $42.3MM and he’ll make $45.5MM next season, so the Hornets would have to send out a significant amount of salary for matching purposes, along with possible draft compensation. Forward Miles Bridges, who will earn $22.8MM in 2026/27 on the final year of his contract, is one trade candidate to watch. Charlotte also has Josh Green ($14.7MM) and Grant Williams ($14.3MM) on expiring deals.
Hornets’ Miles Bridges Back On Trade Block?
The Hornets are expected to make forward Miles Bridges available in trade discussions in conjunction with this month’s draft, report Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
[RELATED: Kings, Hornets Have Discussed Domantas Sabonis]
A 2018 lottery pick who has spent his entire NBA career in Charlotte, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.0 minutes per game in 2025/26, registering a .460/.333/.822 shooting line over the course of 77 regular season contests (all starts).
The 28-year-old signed for three years and $75MM with the Hornets in 2024 and will be entering the final year of that contract in 2026/27. Because the deal has a descending structure, Bridges’ cap hit for the coming season will be just $22.8MM. That relatively manageable figure and the fact that he’s on an expiring contract could help expand his trade market this offseason, Fischer and Stein note.
Bridges was reported in January to be drawing legitimate trade interest from a handful of potential suitors, including Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Golden State. Detroit was also linked to the veteran forward.
However, Charlotte was said to be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for Bridges and it’s unclear whether any team would have been willing to meet that price. The Hornets reportedly had some talks with the Bucks about a possible deal involving Bobby Portis, but they ultimately stood pat, hanging onto Bridges through February’s trade deadline.
While Bridges has proven to be a durable, versatile option on the wing, he’s not an elite defender or a reliable three-point shooter, having converted at least 35.0% of his outside shots just once in his seven years in the league. Potential trade partners will also need to consider his off-court history — the former Michigan State standout lost a full season in 2022/23 after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges just ahead of his restricted free agency. He later accepted a plea deal in that case and had three criminal counts related to separate domestic allegations dismissed.
The Hornets, who finished the regular season on a 33-15 run before being eliminated in the play-in tournament, will be seeking upgrades around their core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel this summer as they look to take another step toward contention.
Southeast Notes: Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Salaun, Hawks
The Heat have been pegged as the “team to watch” this summer when it comes to a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but such a move would have sweeping effects on the rest of the roster, write Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
One player who could be impacted by the move is unrestricted free agent Norman Powell. If the Heat don’t trade for Giannis, it’s unlikely they’ll offer Powell more than a one-year deal, since they’ll be looking to maintain as much cap space as possible for the summer of 2027, which could have a strong free agent class.
However, if Miami is able to pull off a deal for the Bucks’ star forward, Powell could be offered a multiyear deal this summer to keep him around as a floor spacer and scorer playing off the two-time MVP’s rim-focused attack.
A similar logic could apply to Pelle Larsson. If the Heat have Antetokounmpo and are no longer looking to hoard cap space, they could choose to sign the 25-year-old to an extension, though it’s also possible that the Bucks would ask for Larsson as part of the trade return.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- One reason the Heat need to be very deliberate in how they approach a potential trade for the Greek star is the fact that they could be spending around 69% of their salary cap on Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo alone by the end of Adebayo’s deal, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Any trade for Antetokounmpo will likely have to come with an understanding of what he wants to do regarding a potential extension, which he becomes eligible to sign as early as October 1.
- The Hornets had a successful 2025/26 season and will now look to build on it and continue their journey to becoming a real playoff threat in the East. One player who is hoping to be a part of that surge is 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaun. Salaun is coming off a modest sophomore season, and he knows that he is facing a critical summer for growth, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer. “It’s a big offseason, so I will keep working on my body,” Salaun said. “That’s the main thing — be more physical. With my defensive impact but also on offense, I can grow and be more impactful. And I have to just keep doing my thing by shooting when I’m open, keep rebounding and keep guarding the ball or be big on the shift.” Salaun averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game this season. Perhaps most importantly, he increased his three-point percentage from 28.3% as a rookie to 43.4% on 2.2 attempts per game.
- The Knicks’ impressive run to the Finals could lead the Hawks to downplay their first-round loss at the hands of New York, but if they’re serious about building not just a playoff team but a contender, then they need to resist that urge and instead understand what it is that sets the two teams so far apart, writes Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As Sugiura explains, the Knicks showed that the Hawks are not close to where they want to be yet, and recognizing that should help inspire the young core to work even harder this summer as they look to continue to grow as a team and as individual players.
Draft Rumors: Wizards, Dybantsa, Ament, Burries, Johnson, More
While the Wizards continue to evaluate their options with the first overall pick and have not yet decided who they’ll select, sources around the NBA continue to think BYU wing AJ Dybantsa is their “most likely target,” according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
Regardless of where he ends up, Dybantsa believes his new team could make a quick rise up the standings, similar to what’s happened with the Spurs the past couple seasons, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
“It won’t take that long, especially with my adaptability and my work ethic,” Dybantsa said Monday. “I think that will be, I’m not going to say easy, but pretty similar to what these guys do in terms of the forecast.”
Vecenie’s mock draft features several other bits of sourced intel and speculation. He writes that there’s a good deal of intrigue about what the Clippers (fifth) and Nets (sixth) will do right after the top four.
Both teams have been linked to the several guards projected to go in that range, Vecenie notes, and there have been rumors about both clubs exploring the possibility of moving down as well. Los Angeles and Brooklyn have also been connected to Michigan center Aday Mara, Vecenie adds, though it’s not clear if that would be in a trade-down scenario.
Here are a few more rumors ahead of the draft, which will take place June 23-24:
- Both Vecenie and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints have heard rumblings about the Nets potentially being interested in Nate Ament. As Vecenie writes, last year’s draft showed that Brooklyn’s front office is less concerned with position and more interested in adding players it has highest on its board. With that in mind, Vecenie has the Nets selecting Darius Acuff, though Vecenie acknowledges that’s more based on him viewing the Arkansas star as the best available player at that spot rather than any inside knowledge of the way Brooklyn might be leaning.
- The Hawks (eighth) have explored trade-down scenarios, Vecenie writes, and while they could use a long-term replacement for Trae Young, Vecenie has them selecting Mara.
- Vecenie and Siegel both have the Mavericks taking Brayden Burries with the ninth pick. Siegel cites speculation that Burries’ agents at Klutch Sports are trying to angle their client to Dallas, while Vecenie says other lottery clubs are trying to figure out why the Arizona guard hasn’t worked out for many teams. Either way, Burries is expected to draw interest from teams trying to win next season, according to Vecenie, who hears the Mavericks are exploring a number of possibilities at No. 9.
- Vecenie has gotten the impression that Yaxel Lendeborg might fall out of the lottery, possibly because he’s the oldest player projected to go in that range. Siegel has heard similar speculation, writing that the Michigan forward’s floor appears to be either Oklahoma City (No. 17) or Charlotte (No. 18).
- On the other hand, both Vecenie and Siegel suggest Lendeborg’s teammate Morez Johnson is a player on the rise, with sources telling ClutchPoints some teams view the Wolverines forward/center as a lottery lock. Vecenie thinks Johnson is unlikely to fall past 15th, which is one spot outside of the lottery. For what it’s worth, both authors have the Hornets selecting Johnson 14th overall.
- Ament, Karim Lopez, Chris Cenac, Jayden Quaintance and Ebuka Okorie are among the prospects who appear to have a wide draft range, according to Vecenie. Lopez, for instance, could be in play anywhere from No. 11 to around No. 25.
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 league’s 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 overall 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 that 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,” he 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.
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 viewed as 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.
Mitchell Robinson Increasing Value Ahead Of Free Agency?
Mitchell Robinson appears to be increasing his value ahead of unrestricted free agency, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who reports that the Knicks‘ backup center is expected to receive “significant” external interest this offseason.
Fischer compares Robinson’s situation to that of his former teammate Isaiah Hartenstein in 2024. Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87MM contract with the Thunder that summer, though only the first two seasons were guaranteed (2026/27 is a team option).
It remains to be seen whether Robinson will command that significant of a payday, but sources tell Fischer the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers and Raptors are all considered potential suitors for the 28-year-old big man, who’s a strong, versatile defender and an elite rebounder, particularly on the offensive glass.
Chicago could have up to $56MM in cap room this offseason and Los Angeles could choose to operate under the cap as well. The Hornets and Raptors appear likely to have the full mid-level exception (projected to be worth $64.7MM over four years) available. All four teams are “known to be looking for center upgrades,” according to Fischer.
Robinson’s playing time has been reduced somewhat in the playoffs in part because of his struggles at the charity stripe: he’s only converting 32.0% of his 3.3 free throws per game through 15 postseason appearances (14.1 minutes per contest).
Still, Robinson has been impactful when he’s not being intentionally fouled. He drew praise from head coach Mike Brown and Karl-Anthony Towns for his late-game defense on Victor Wembanyama following New York’s Game 2 victory over San Antonio, Fischer notes, and he stayed pretty healthy throughout 2025/26 (60 regular season games) after missing extended time in recent years due to injuries.
A former second-round pick, Robinson has spent all eight of his NBA seasons to this point with the Knicks, who selected him 36th overall in the 2018 draft. New York holds a 2-0 lead on San Antonio in the NBA Finals, with both victories coming on the road.
The Knicks have Robinson’s Bird rights and there’s technically nothing preventing them from re-signing him, though the team projects to be over the second tax apron next season if it chooses to go that route. Given Robinson’s importance to the Knicks’ success, it would certainly be difficult to replace him.