Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Latest Mocks, Murray-Boyles, Jakucionis, NIL Impact, Seniors, Team Needs

June 23rd, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The latest ESPN mock draft has plenty of guards going in the lottery. Their experts, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, believe that eight guards and/or wings will come off the board within the first 13 picks.

After Cooper Flagg (Mavericks) and Dylan Harper (Spurs), ESPN’s latest mock has guards V.J. Edgecombe (Sixers), Kon Knueppel (Hornets) and Jeremiah Fears (Jazz) rounding out the top five. Ace Bailey, formerly considered a top three pick, slips to the Wizards at No. 6. The Suns, who are acquiring the No. 10 pick from the Rockets, are projected to take South Carolina big man Collin Murray-Boyles.

Here’s more draft-related info:

In his latest mock draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie says he thinks the Sixers trading down from the No. 3 slot remains a real possibility. The Hornets have also had discussions moving both up and down the board from the No. 4 spot, while Texas wing Tre Johnson could be a surprise selection in the top five, Vecenie writes, adding that Johnson could go as high as No. 3.
Speaking of Murray-Boyles, he worked out for the Trail Blazers over the weekend, as did Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets. ESPN ranks Murray-Boyles at No. 13 overall with Jakucionis at No. 10. Portland owns the No. 11 pick.
Just 32 non-international early entrants from colleges and other basketball teams or leagues and 14 international players remain in the draft, a dramatic drop-off from recent years. What’s the difference? NIL money has motivated most prospects to stay in college, unless they believe they’ll go in the first round, as Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports details. “If you are not a guaranteed first-round pick, top-20, top-30 guy—unless you really do not want to play college basketball anymore, we are recommending and most of them are staying in school as long as they possibly can,” Michael Raymond, president and founder of Raymond Representation, told Christovich.
The draft is usually headed by one-and-dones and other underclassmen. However, there are more seasoned college players who will come off the board this year. HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo de Choch takes a look at the cream of the senior crop.
The Athletic’s Law Murray breaks down the biggest draft needs for each team, identifying the picks each of those clubs hold.

Southeast Notes: Bane, Hornets, Brogdon, Magic

June 20th, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Priority number one for freshly acquired Magic shooting guard Desmond Bane is getting to work building chemistry with his new teammates, writes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

Orlando managed to stay afloat through a barrage of injuries last season, thanks in large part to the chemistry they built, which Beede says starts with head coach Jamahl Mosley. Mosley is known as a players’ coach, giving his roster the freedom they need to be their best selves while finding balance in also holding them accountable.

Bane specifically wants to spend time with star Paolo Banchero this summer.

“I want to get to connect with him, whether he’s in Seattle or wherever he’s at, link up with him for a weekend, and we can get in the gym but low-key, put basketball to the side and get a chance to know him as a person,” Bane said.

We have more from the Southeast division:

The Hornets almost have to take Ace Bailey if he falls to No. 4 in the 2025 draft, contends Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer. In his mailbag article, Boone suggests that the Hornets could pair Bailey with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller or use him as another high-profile trade chip. Boone also writes that Mark Williams being on the roster when next season starts would be something of a surprise after last season’s failed trade with the Lakers.
Unrestricted free agent point guard Malcolm Brogdon is not expected to return to the Wizards, reports RG’s Grant Afseth. Brogdon played 24 games for Washington last season, averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per night. Afseth writes that the Mavericks may be a suitor for Brogdon. Meanwhile, the Wizards will continue searching for a long-term answer at point guard.
The Magic have released their preseason schedule, Beede writes. Fans will get to see their new-look team kick off on October 12 against the Heat. They will play two home preseason games, with the second coming on Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 pm against the Pelicans.

Hornets’ Josh Green Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

June 20th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets wing Josh Green has undergone surgery to address instability in his left shoulder, the team announced today in a press release.

While the Hornets state that Green is expected to make a full recovery, they didn’t provide any sort of recovery timeline, simply stating that he’ll be out indefinitely, with updates to be provided as appropriate. Training camps will get underway in a little over four months — it’s unclear if the former Arizona Wildcat will be ready to go by that point.

Green, 24, was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in last summer’s six-team mega-deal that also saw Klay Thompson go from the Warriors to the Mavericks while Golden State acquired Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield.

In his first season as a Hornet, Green appeared in a career-high 68 games, starting 67 of them. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .428/.391/.681.

Green remains under contract with the Hornets for two more seasons and is owed approximately $28.3MM during that time. Assuming he returns to Charlotte rather than being traded this offseason, he figures to play a rotation role again in 2025/26 once he’s healthy, but won’t be assured of reclaiming his spot in the starting five.

Latest On Ace Bailey

June 20th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Having canceled his pre-draft workout with the Sixers this week, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey still hasn’t visited any teams ahead of next Wednesday’s first round. While his unorthodox pre-draft process has fueled speculation that Bailey – long considered a top-three or top-four prospect in this year’s class – may drop further than expected next week, he’s unlikely to slide too far, Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line (Substack link).

“He’s not falling into the 20s like Cam Whitmore,” a longtime scout told Fischer.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has heard from multiple league sources that Omar Cooper, one of Bailey’s representatives, wanted the Sixers to commit to drafting him at No. 3 prior to Friday’s scheduled workout. However, Fischer cites a source briefed on the process who says Bailey’s camp didn’t insist on an “iron-clad promise” from Philadelphia.

Pompey has also heard from a league executive that Bailey’s reps may want him to play on the East Coast, somewhere between Atlanta and New York. When ESPN had Bailey going to Washington at No. 6 in its latest mock draft, Jonathan Givony suggested that “geography” was one factor worth considering.

According to Fischer, there hasn’t been much chatter connecting Bailey to the Hornets, who hold the No. 4 overall pick. Lottery teams believe the Jazz at No. 5 could be a potential landing spot for the 18-year-old, but Utah is also thought to be high on Duke’s Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel, Fischer notes.

The Wizards hold the No. 6 pick and their front office has spoken repeatedly in the past about building around high-character players. While there are no apprehensions about Bailey’s character specifically – one NBA scout described him to Fischer as a “sweetheart” – there are some concerns about his focus, his approach to the game, and his maturity, per Fischer and Pompey.

“He’s not immature like a [butthead]. … He’s goofy,” a scout told Pompey. “Dancing in line. You are doing drills, he’s dancing. ‘Oh, that’s my song.’ … He’s playful, which is age-appropriate.”

The Pelicans (No. 7), meanwhile, have been reported to have interest in Bailey, but league sources tell Fischer’s Substack teammate Marc Stein that New Orleans’ interest has been overstated.

As Fischer writes, with no sense that any specific team in that 3-7 range is locked in on Bailey, there have been teams wondering if he might make it all the way to the Nets at No. 8. As Fischer and Stein previously observed, a number of evaluators and scouts believe there’s a drop-off after the top eight prospects in the 2025 draft class.

Here are a few more Bailey-related notes:

According to Fischer, NBA teams believe that one reason why Bailey’s pre-draft approach has been so unconventional is that it’s being coordinated largely by Cooper, who is the father of former NBA guard Sharife Cooper and isn’t certified as an NBA agent. While Adie Von Gontard and Daniel Green are officially listed as Bailey’s agents, Cooper is the one believed to be running point during the pre-draft process, Fischer explains.
Despite the questions surrounding Bailey, some sources who spoke to Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer believe the Sixers should still draft him at No. 3. “You have to take him,” one Western Conference scout said. “But you have to really know what you are getting. He has the highest upside.”
League sources confirm to Pompey that the Sixers remain interested in moving the No. 3 pick for the right deal. Pompey has also heard from sources that the Wizards, Pelicans, and Nets may also have some level of interest in moving up for the 6’8″ forward.

Draft Rumors: Top Eight, Maluach, Raptors, Sixers, Hornets, More

June 17th, 2025 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

There appears to be a consensus developing among many of the teams and executives around the league about the top eight prospects in the 2025 NBA draft, Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line (Substack link). According to Fischer, while the order after the top two remains up in the air, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, V.J. Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach are widely viewed as the the top eight players available this year.

“If it’s not those eight (drafted in the top eight), it will be seven of those eight,” one Eastern Conference executive told Fischer.

That developing consensus may be one reason why the Raptors’ selection at No. 9 is widely viewed as the top-10 pick most likely to be traded, according to Fischer.

While league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org that multiple members of Toronto’s front office are thought to be high on Maluach, the Duke big man seems unlikely to still be available at No. 9. He has visited the Wizards (No. 6) and Pelicans (No. 7), in addition to the Hawks (No. 13), and is also expected to meet with the Jazz (No. 5) before the draft. As such, the Raptors have been spending time evaluating centers who are little further down on draft boards, such as Danny Wolf and Asa Newell, Fischer reports.

A number of teams in the back half of the lottery, starting with the Pelicans at No. 7, have been connected to center prospects too, Fischer notes. That group includes the Bulls at No. 12 and the Hawks at No. 13 — Nikola Vucevic and Clint Capela have spent most of the last few years as those teams’ starting centers, but Vucevic is a trade candidate and Capela is entering free agency, so the Bulls and Hawks may each be looking to add a young player to their frontcourt.

Here’s more on the draft:

The Sixers (No. 3) and Hornets (No. 4) have conveyed to teams that they’re prepared to listen to trade offers for their picks until they’re on the clock next Wednesday, sources tell Fischer. The Jazz (No. 5) haven’t actively encouraged trade interest in their pick, while the Wizards (No. 6) are considered a possible trade-up candidate, Fischer adds.
The Raptors worked out guards Jase Richardson and Nolan Traore on Monday, according to Afseth. Both players are projected first-round picks, though Richardson is at No. 20 on ESPN’s big board while Traore is at No. 25. It’s unclear if Toronto is considering one or both at No. 9 or preparing for possible trade-down scenarios.
Washington State’s Cedric Coward and French center Joan Beringer are receiving legitimate lottery consideration, Afseth writes in a separate RG.org story. The Hawks (No. 13) and Spurs (No. 14) are among the teams closely monitoring Beringer, sources tell Afseth. “He hasn’t been playing the game that long, but you’d never guess it with how quickly he picks things up,” one scout said of Beringer.
Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl, who has worked out for the Warriors and Nuggets, among other teams, is having a strong pre-draft process and is considered a good candidate for a two-way contract, per Afseth.
Illinois’ Will Riley was considered a likely target for the Magic at No. 16, according to Fischer, who says it’s possible some teams in the late teens will have a shot at Riley now that Orlando has traded that pick to the Grizzlies.

Draft Rumors: Edgecombe, Bailey, Spurs, Knueppel, Fears, Hawks, More

June 17th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since the Sixers claimed the No. 3 overall pick in last month’s draft lottery, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo are projecting Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, rather than Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, to be the pick in that spot.

As Givony explains within ESPN’s latest mock draft, Edgecombe made a strong positive impression during his visit to Philadelphia, whereas Bailey initially didn’t make plans to meet with the Sixers at all. Bailey has since changed course and will work out for the 76ers later this week, but it sounds like he may not been enthusiastic about his “pathway to development” in Philadelphia.

According to Givony, Bailey hasn’t yet conducted a known workout and has declined invitations from multiple teams in his draft range. Sources tell ESPN that his camp believes he’s a top-three player in the draft class but that they want him to end up in a situation where there’s a path to stardom. With that in mind, some teams have wondered if Bailey has received a promise from a team outside the top five that he views as more favorable in terms of both playing time and geography.

Givony and Woo have Bailey slipping to Washington at No. 6 in their latest mock, with Givony writing that the Wizards and the Pelicans (at No. 7) are both believed to be “highly intrigued” by the 18-year-old’s upside and could probably offer him more minutes right away than a team like Philadelphia could.

Here’s more from ESPN on the 2025 NBA draft:

Rival teams who have been in touch with the Spurs have come away believing that San Antonio will hang onto the No. 2 overall pick and select Dylan Harper, according to Givony, who says the Spurs are excited about adding a talent like Harper and appear willing to address potential fit issues down the road.
Although the No. 8 pick is viewed as Kon Knueppel‘s likely floor, he could end up coming off the board a few picks ahead of that. The Hornets (No. 4) and Jazz (No. 5) both appear to have interest in the Duke sharpshooter, Givony reports.
Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears looks like a relatively safe bet to be drafted between No. 5 and No. 8, writes Woo. The Jazz are viewed as the top end of Fears’ range, while the Pelicans (No. 7) and Nets (No. 8) are thought to be interested. Grant Afseth of RG.org said something similar on Monday while also identifying the Wizards at No. 6 as a possibility for Fears.
Rival teams believe the Hawks will likely be targeting a big man and a guard with their first-round picks if they hang onto both of them, says Woo. Even if the Hawks do take that route, the order in which they address those two spots will hinge in large part on who’s available after the first 12 picks. ESPN’s mock has Atlanta taking Egor Demin at No. 13 and Danny Wolf at No. 22.
Collin Murray-Boyles is considered a polarizing prospect, with some evaluators viewing the South Carolina standout as a potential “outstanding” role player while others are concerned about his shooting and his positional size, according to Woo. Murray-Boyles’ range may start around the No. 10 pick.
Arizona’s Carter Bryant has had a very good pre-draft process and looks like a strong candidate to come off the board in the 9-15 range, per Givony.

V.J. Edgecombe Making Strong Case For No. 3 Pick

June 11th, 2025 at 8:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the first night of the draft two weeks away, V.J. Edgecombe appears to be in good position to be selected with the third pick, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Sources tell Fischer that the Baylor guard impressed Sixers officials with his “work ethic, personality and interviews” during a visit to Philadelphia last week. He went to dinner with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and other team executives, and star guard Tyrese Maxey flew in to meet with Edgecombe.

Fischer states that the Sixers view Edgecombe as a strong defensive complement to Maxey in their backcourt. He also brings obvious offensive skills after scoring 15.0 points per game and shooting 34% from three-point range during his freshman season with the Bears.

Sources tell Fischer that the Philadelphia workout is believed to be the only one Edgecombe has conducted so far. He adds that some teams believe it will be Edgecombe’s only pre-draft visit, although he could change his mind as the draft gets closer.

Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, who has been linked to the Sixers in several mock drafts, is also scheduling a private workout in Philadelphia, Fischer tweets.

If Edgecombe isn’t taken at No. 3, rival teams believe the Hornets will grab him with the fourth pick or offer the selection to teams looking to move up in the draft, sources tell Fischer.

Fischer identifies the Wizards as a team to watch in a trade-up scenario for Edgecombe, noting that with picks No. 6 and 18, Washington has the assets to swing a deal with either Philadelphia or Charlotte.

What Can The Hornets Expect With The No. 4 Pick?

June 9th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines recent No. 4 picks to get an idea of what the Hornets can expect with that selection in this year’s draft.

Southeast Notes: Young, Hornets, Magic, K. Johnson

June 6th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A native of Norman, Oklahoma who played his college ball for the Sooners, Trae Young has some affinity for the local NBA team. However, while the Hawks guard will be rooting for the Thunder in the NBA Finals, he tells Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that seeing Oklahoma City make a serious run at a title really just makes him more determined to take his own team to those same heights.

“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young said on Wednesday at a sponsor event. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now, if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now. … Hopefully we’re here playing the Thunder next year, and I’m not having this (event) here in OKC. So, we have this party there in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.”

The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and haven’t won more than 43 games in a season since Young was drafted in 2018, but the star guard remains optimistic about the franchise’s direction.

“We had the No. 1 pick (Zaccharie Risacher) last year that made strides and almost won Rookie of the Year, got second,” Young said. “We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Dylan Cardwell (Auburn), Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma) visited the Hornets for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, while Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall), Eric Dixon (Villanova), Kobe Johnson (UCLA), and Julian Reese (Maryland) auditioned for the team on Thursday, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). Charlotte controls the fourth, 33rd, and 34th overall picks in this year’s draft. Among those prospects, Dixon is the highest-rated on ESPN’s big board at No. 45.
Keith Smith of Spotrac and Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) both previewed the Magic‘s offseason this week, discussing Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming rookie scale extension, looking at Orlando’s rising payroll, and considering how the team might use its multiple first-round picks (No. 16 and No. 25) in this year’s draft.
Although he played limited minutes in just 16 NBA games as a rookie in 2024/25, Heat forward Keshad Johnson feels he has “grown mentally” since entering the league, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I’ve learned a lot about basketball, Xs and Os,” said Johnson, who played well for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. “Just being in the NBA, at first it started off fast. But it started to slow down as time got going. Just getting comfortable. Skill-wise, I feel like the mental aspect of learning cheat codes and things like that.” The Heat hold a minimum-salary team option on Johnson for the 2025/26 season and must exercise or decline that option by June 29.

Draft Rumors: Maluach, Raynaud, Niederhauser, Coward

June 5th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Duke center Khaman Maluach may be moving up draft boards after a “wildly positive” pro day in which he showcased his shooting touch, writes Jonathan Wasserman of Hoops HQ.

According to Wasserman, some NBA scouts believe that Maluach has a chance to be selected in the top five of this month’s draft, perhaps by the Hornets (No. 4) or Jazz (No. 5). The South Sudanese big man is ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s best available prospects list.

Here are a few more draft rumors from Wasserman:

Stanford center Maxime Raynaud was one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, excelling in the first day of scrimmages and measuring better than some other big men in the class. While scouts initially thought Raynaud had moved himself into late first-round territory after the combine, they now think he could be selected in the teens or early 20s, Wasserman writes.
Penn State big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser is another player who shined during the pre-draft process, particularly at the G League Elite Camp. According to Wasserman, Niederhauser was largely off NBA radars a month ago, but now teams believe he will receive legitimate consideration late in the first round. There have been rumors that the Swiss center may have received a promise after he decided to keep his name in the draft, Wasserman notes, though that hasn’t been confirmed. Niederhauser is ranked No. 34 on ESPN’s board.
Cedric Coward, the 29th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s list, appears to have a wide draft range. Some NBA personnel Wasserman has spoken to have a lottery projection for the Washington State wing, while others think he’s only a potential first-round pick. Coward only played six games for the Cougars due to an injury and was relatively unheralded until this season, but he had excellent physical measurements and tested very well at the combine, making him the “ultimate high-risk, high-reward” prospect, per Wasserman.