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Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Miller, McNeeley, Kalkbrenner, Plumlee

October 6th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Two spots in the Hornets‘ starting lineup are uncertain as the regular season approaches, and coach Charles Lee indicated they could be flexible for a while, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Moussa Diabate was the starting center for Sunday’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, while rookie Kon Knueppel got the nod at small forward.

“I spoke with Tre (Mann) and Kon and Collin (Sexton), and I said, ‘I think you guys need to be prepared to start a lot of different ways and we’ll see how the season goes,’” Lee said. “I think that each one of them has had really high moments or really good bright spots and have shown that they learned to be out there and have a significant role. And all three I think will have a significant role. And every night it might look a little bit different and they need to be open minded to it. And so (Sunday), trying to just get some data on what lineups I think work well defensively, what lineups work well offensively and we’ll keep kind of carving out what we think makes the most sense for our team on a night-to-night basis.”

Knueppel, the fourth pick in this year’s draft, led Charlotte in scoring with 18 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-10 beyond the arc. He’s eager to launch his NBA career and isn’t concerned about whether he’s used as a starter or a reserve.

“I think it doesn’t really matter,” Knueppel said. “I think we’re all going to contribute a bunch or all three of us will. So, just depending on the matchups each night, we want to start out on their guard heavy. Maybe he goes to one of those guys just depending on the matchup. But I think we’ll all get similar playing time every game.”

There’s more from Charlotte, all from Boone:

Sunday night marked Brandon Miller‘s return to the court for the first time since he tore a ligament in his right wrist in January. Boone notes that Miller didn’t show any lingering effects from the injury, throwing down a pair of dunks with his right hand and driving into the lane with no fear of contact. “Just getting that feel back,” Miller said. “I haven’t played basketball with my guys in a long time, so I would say just getting the feel back and building that confidence and bond that we have with our teammates, just being that stronger every day.”
Rookies Liam McNeeley and Ryan Kalkbrenner also saw significant minutes in their debuts Sunday night. They both displayed a mix of inexperience and positive plays, and Lee was encouraged by what he saw. “I think everyone got to see what these kids are about,” he said. “Our young rookies, they’re fearless, they don’t back down. Their competitive spirit, their winning spirit, they’re coming up with offensive rebounds, they’re diving on the floor for loose balls. There’s a physicality, there’s a togetherness.”
Mason Plumlee joined the team on Sunday after missing nearly a week with an excused absence. He participated in warmups but didn’t play as Lee gave the minutes at center to Diabaté and Kalkbrenner.

Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Daniels, T. Jones, Mann

October 4th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson may have been headed for his first All-Star appearance before a torn labrum in his left shoulder ended his season in January. Now that he’s fully recovered, he’s eager to start competing again after nine months away from the game, writes Bill Trocchi of The Associated Press.

“I’m just excited for a basketball game,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long time since January, so I’m excited to get out on the court, preseason, training camp. I’m excited to be full go and fully healthy going into the season.”

The Hawks made several important additions during Johnson’s absence, bringing in Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, and Johnson said he’s been spending training camp learning how to play alongside them. Coach Quin Snyder told Trocchi that Johnson will handle the ball more often this season and will create easier opportunities for his teammates.

“Other guys on the team benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability,” Snyder said. “Jalen is such a good passer and willing passer that he’s ready to play-make even more. … (With the new lineup), he will be in spacing situations where he can just catch and shoot. We want him to do that, just to let it fly. We trust him in that regard.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After capturing Most Improved Player honors last season, Dyson Daniels spent the summer trying to raise his game even further, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). The Hawks guard is making an effort to become a more versatile offensive player. “I was able to go and make improvements in a lot of ways,” Daniels said. “I worked a lot on my midrange game, being able to get to spots, different pickups, different footwork, getting good shots, trying to develop that offensive bag. And I think that’s been the main focus for me this summer.”
Point guard Tyus Jones seems like an ideal addition for a Magic team that has experienced difficulty with holding onto the ball in recent years, observes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Jones, who led the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio for six straight seasons, said he considered joining Orlando for a while before signing as a free agent this summer. “This has been a place where I’ve kind of had my eye on and thought the fit was there the last few years,” he said. “It eventually played itself out and the time is right now. I’m excited to be here. I plan on making those fans happy and look forward to playing in front of them.”
Hornets guard Tre Mann is happy to be able to play again after a back injury derailed last season after 13 games, relays Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Mann admitted going through a “dark time” during the long recovery process, but now says he’s grateful for “just being in the NBA, being healthy and putting on the NBA jersey.”

Hornets Notes: Miller, Knueppel, Lee, Mann, Dinwiddie, Lineup

September 29th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Brandon Miller is healthy and will participate in training camp, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said on Monday, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Miller’s 2024/25 campaign was cut short by wrist surgery performed in January.

There’s no timetable regarding the injury status of Grant Williams and Josh Green, Peterson added. Both players are expected to miss all of training camp. Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.

We have more on the Hornets from Boone:

LaMelo Ball was caught off guard by rookie Kon Knueppel‘s athleticism, particularly his hops (Twitter link). “I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go with the bounce,” he said. “For real. I didn’t know he could jump like that. He’s even caught a few little dunks. I’m like, ‘Hold up, I’ve seen ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ at the end and he’s been kind of jumping like that the whole day, though. Solid.”
Hornets head coach Charles Lee indicated the system and offensive strategy has been tweaked so they can play faster this season. He added he’s more prepared now than he was in his first year on the job (Twitter link).
Tre Mann re-signed with the team on a three-year, $24MM contract. He missed most of last season due to a back injury but started to feel back to normal in April. “I’m grateful to be healthy,” he said. (Twitter video link).
Journeyman guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal in July as a free agent. He believes the team has the talent to end its postseason drought. “Being able to help a team possibly trying to make the playoffs is an exciting opportunity and another challenge in my career,” he said. (video link).
Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges are starting lineup locks. Who fills the other spots? According to Boone, Sexton could be the person sliding into the shooting guard spot. Starting him would allow Lee to moved him to point guard when Ball goes to the bench in the opening quarter. At center, Lee could play the matchup game. Veteran Mason Plumlee appears to be the favorite to snag that spot, backed up by Moussa Diabate and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Charles Lee Talks About His, Hornets’ Offseason

August 29th, 2025 at 8:58pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hornets head coach Charles Lee is in Rwanda as a part of the NBA’s yearly Basketball Without Borders program, and he’s hoping that his time there can pay unexpected dividends for his up-and-coming team, writes Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer.

Lee is working with a group that includes forward NBA forward Marvin Williams, who spent five-and-a-half seasons with the Hornets. That growing relationship has borne unexpected fruit, according to Lee.

“He’s been my assistant coach and he’s drawn up some beautiful [after-time-out] plays,” Lee said. “He brings a knowledge to the game that probably supersedes mine at that time, and so I’m learning from him.”

While Williams has been a helpful presence, he’s far from the only person to provide that educational experience for the Hornets’ head coach.

“There’s a lot of growth ideas that come from a trip like this,” Lee said. “Number one, you get to watch other coaches coach their teams here at BWB and watch their practices and learn some of their terminology and the different ways that they teach things… In between camp sessions, you get to spend time with other head coaches, assistant coaches… The conversations never stop, the learning never stops. So, there’s a ton of growth opportunities and ideas that I can kind of take from this experience.”

While Lee is continuing to grow as a coach, he’s also making sure to keep tabs on the Hornets, both through his coaching staff and through personal check-ins. Despite being away from the group, he’s excited about the progress the team has made this summer.

“I just love the offseason that we’ve had,” he said. “I think the focus that everyone’s had, the commitment to trying to get better, increasing their intensity of their workouts, and I’m looking forward to getting back after it… Charlotte Hornets basketball is always on my mind. Everything I do is for that organization, that program while those players just continue to get better.”

Lee added that he’s particularly excited about the team retaining restricted free agent Tre Mann.

“Tre has this great quality about himself where he can build the relationships, gain the trust and earn the trust of his teammates,” he said. “So, I’m looking forward to having him back out there on the court and off the court as well, to help kind of keep just bringing this thing together and building.”

Hornets Re-Sign Tre Mann To Three-Year Deal

July 13th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

July 13: Mann’s signing has been made official, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

July 1: The Hornets are re-signing free agent guard Tre Mann to a three-season, $24MM contract, sources inform ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The deal will include a third-year team option, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Mann’s fate appeared somewhat up in the air, as the Hornets had opted not to extend him the $6.96MM qualifying offer that would have made him a restricted free agent. However, head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson recently referred to the former first-round pick as a “priority” and said he expected him to return.

On Tuesday, the two sides reached an agreement to make that happen.

The 24-year-old out of Florida missed most of the 2024/25 season due to a back ailment, but he has participated in all of Charlotte’s offseason activity and 5-on-5 scrimmages. Across just 13 healthy games, the 6’3″ pro averaged a career-best 14.1 points, along with 3.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds. He had a shooting line of .435/.400/.905.

In addition to striking a deal with Mann, the Hornets also reached a deal to bring back former center Mason Plumlee.

Charlotte is, however, bringing in some new additions, highlighted by rookie No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel and forward Sion James out of Duke, former UConn wing Liam McNeeley UConn, and ex-Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner. The Hornets also agreed to acquire guard Collin Sexton from Utah, along with Milwaukee wing Pat Connaughton.

Scotto’s Latest: Rollins, Hornets, Bucks, Ayton, Valanciunas

July 4th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

After having his qualifying offer withdrawn by the Bucks earlier this week, free agent guard Ryan Rollins is drawing interest from a handful of teams around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says the Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers are among the clubs with Rollins on their radar.

A reunion with Milwaukee also hasn’t been ruled out either, Scotto reports. Even after rescinding his qualifying offer and making him an unrestricted free agent, the Bucks are in position to hang onto Rollins’ Early Bird rights, which would allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him after they use up all their room.

Portland still has its $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, while San Antonio and Los Angeles have the $5.1MM bi-annual exception on hand, Scotto writes. However, the Suns could only offer more than a minimum-salary deal if they shed salary — perhaps via a Bradley Beal buyout agreement.

Rollins had a modest breakout year this past season, registering averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He had only made 25 appearances across two NBA seasons prior to 2024/25.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Examining the Hornets‘ roster crunch, Scotto identifies Josh Okogie and DaQuan Jeffries – who are on non-guaranteed contracts – as candidates to be waived if no trade opportunities involving them arise. Executives who spoke to HoopsHype also view former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. as a player who could be traded. That applies to veterans on expiring contracts like Pat Connaughton and Collin Sexton as well.
Before he agreed to re-sign with the Hornets, point guard Tre Mann received interest from the Bucks, Scotto reports. Milwaukee is in the market for additional point guard depth after losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear and subsequently planning to waive him.
Echoing reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Scotto says that teams who reached out to Trail Blazers officials for feedback on Deandre Ayton got positive reviews on the big man, who was a “community staple in Portland and hosted many team bonding events.” Reporting from The Athletic had suggested that Ayton’s attitude and bad habits played a part in the decision to part ways with him.
Addressing the Jonas Valanciunas situation, Scotto notes that the Nuggets have tried to acquire the veteran center for the past couple years and have envisioned him playing a significant role if he reports to Denver, giving superstar Nikola Jokic more opportunities to rest. Amid rumors that Valanciunas is traveling to Greece and hopes to sign with the EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, Scotto hears that the 33-year-old is expected to address the situation soon.

QO Updates: J. Walker, A. Mitchell, Two-Ways, Mann

June 30th, 2025 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers opted not to tender forward Jabari Walker a qualifying offer prior to Sunday’s deadline, reports Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). As a result, Walker will become an unrestricted free agent.

Walker put up solid numbers in a limited role for Portland last season, averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game, with a .515/.389/.690 shooting line, across 60 appearances. However, his playing time dropped off significantly from the previous year, a signal that the Blazers were prioritizing other young players over the 22-year-old.

Meanwhile, the Thunder issued Ajay Mitchell a qualifying offer, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), who notes that it’s a procedural move for Oklahoma City, since the second-year guard has already agreed to sign a three-year, $9MM contract with the team. The QO will just ensure he’s a restricted free agent when free agency opens — he’ll be able to officially finalize that new deal on July 6.

The following players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts also received qualifying offers ahead of Sunday’s deadline, per Smith (unless otherwise indicated):

Branden Carlson, Thunder (link)
Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves (link)
Tyson Etienne, Nets (link)
Trentyn Flowers, Clippers (link)
Mac McClung, Magic (link)
Tristen Newton, Timberwolves (link)
Oscar Tshiebwe, Jazz (link via Tony Jones of The Athletic)

In each of these cases, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.

While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.

While it’s possible that news of a qualifying offer slipped through the cracks within the last 24 hours, it appears that RealGM’s official transaction log is up to date with all of the QOs that were issued prior to Sunday’s deadline.

If that’s the case, one notable player who didn’t receive a qualifying offer is Hornets guard Tre Mann. His QO would have been worth about $6.96MM, but if Charlotte didn’t put it on the table, that means he’s on track to be unrestricted when free agency opens later today.

[UPDATE: Mann didn’t receive a qualifying offer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms (via Twitter).]

We’ll publish our full recap of 2025’s qualifying offer decisions later this morning.

Southeast Notes: Mann, Johnson, Riley, Newell, Martins, DeVos

June 26th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets fully expect to retain restricted free agent Tre Mann, executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said during a press conference, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

“He’s a priority … I don’t see any reason why he’s not back,” Peterson said.

The Hornets, who hold Mann’s Bird rights, must make a $6.96MM qualifying offer in the coming days in order to make him a restricted free agent. If Charlotte passes on that QO, the point guard would reach unrestricted free agency and could sign with any team without the Hornets getting the opportunity to match. Peterson’s comments strongly suggest the Hornets will extend the QO.

Earlier in the week, it was reported that Mann had fully recovered from his back disc herniation. He has participated in all of Charlotte’s offseason activity and 5-on-5 scrimmages after playing in just 13 games last season.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards selected Texas guard Tre Johnson (No. 6) and Illinois wing Will Riley (No. 21) in the first round. General manager Will Dawkins expects Johnson to have an immediate offensive impact, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “Pound for pound, if he’s not the best shooter, [Johnson] is one of the best shooters in the draft,” Dawkins said. “But that’s not his only skill. He’s someone that can make plays … for others and averaged 19 points a game in the SEC, led the whole conference in scoring as a freshman, like in conference play. That’s hard to do.” According to Varun Shankar of the Post, the team’s brass was impressed by Riley’s competitiveness during 3-on-3 workouts when he visited the Wizards. The front office also believes Riley has more skills than he was allowed to show with the Illini. “We think there’s more there to unlock,” Dawkins said. “That’s why we had him as high as we did, and we’re happy to have him.”
The Hawks traded down from the No. 13 pick on Wednesday to No. 23 and received an unprotected first-rounder next year from the Pelicans. They still got a quality talent in Georgia’s Asa Newell, according to Rod Beard of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You don’t ever know if somebody’s going to be available when you move down that far,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said. “We felt good about a bucket of players if we did get there, and it just was the right thing to do for us. It just made sense for us and where we’re at, and I think it just helped our future a little bit. So, yeah, it’s a good trade.”
Alex Martins is stepping down as CEO of the Magic after 14 years and taking on a new role as the vice chair of the organization, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Martins will still serve as a senior advisor to the Magic board of directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and as a resource to team executives. The Magic don’t have plans to hire a new CEO. The succession plan also includes the third generation of the DeVos family ownership. Magic vice president of shareholder engagement Ryan DeVos will take the role of managing director while Cole DeVos will relocate to Orlando at the beginning of the 2025/26 season to work more closely with the franchise in a full-time management development program. It shows that the DeVos family has no plans to sell the franchise, Beede notes.

Hornets Notes: Mann, Turnaround, Chasse

June 23rd, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets restricted free agent Tre Mann has fully recovered from his back disc herniation, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). Mann has participated in all of Charlotte’s offseason activity and 5-on-5 scrimmages after playing in just 13 games last season.

The Hornets, who hold his Bird rights, must make a $6.96MM qualifying offer in the coming days in order to make Mann a restricted free agent. If Charlotte passes on that QO, the point guard would reach unrestricted free agency and could sign with any team without the Hornets getting the opportunity to match.

Shortly after the season, coach Charles Lee voiced a strong opinion about Mann’s ability to impact the team.

“Tre, he’s a phenomenal player, even better teammate and person,” Lee said. “…He’s just such a great talent. So, to miss him to out there and his skill set was definitely unfortunate. But also, to just have him around on the court, vocally or at practice or teaching guys — because he does have such a high basketball IQ. But, yeah, I think he brings so much value. It’ll be nice to have him back in the mix hopefully next year.”

Mann is at No. 49 on our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents, though we noted that he could certainly outperform that ranking if he’s back to full health.

Here’s more on the Hornets:

The franchise has been spinning its wheels for the better part of a decade. How can the Hornets finally turn things around? Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer takes a closer look at the Pistons, Magic and Timberwolves and how those franchise emerged from trips to the lottery to become playoff contenders, evaluating the lessons that Charlotte could learn from them.
Patrick Chasse has been hired by the Hornets to serve as the new vice president of medical and performance, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Lee, a former Celtics assistant, is quite familiar with Chasse. The latter spent the last five years with Boston, most recently as its head athletic trainer/physical therapist. Trent Salo, who was originally hired into that job last July, shifted to a consultant role.
In case you missed it, Josh Green underwent shoulder surgery last week. Get the details here.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Mitchell, Burks, Hawks

May 30th, 2025 at 8:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hornets have the ignominious honor of holding the league’s longest active playoff drought, leaving them with many questions to answer heading into the offseason, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone.

In a mailbag column, Boone writes that he expects the team to add more veteran presence to its young core, along the lines of last year’s Taj Gibson signing. The goal would be to help build a winning locker room culture and assist in the development of head coach Charles Lee, who himself is still learning the ropes of being an NBA veteran coach.

Boone also advises fans not to overreact if 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaün spends more time in the G League next year, writing that rushing his development would be a mistake and would hurt him in the long run. The sixth pick in last year’s draft averaged 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per night for Charlotte, while shooting just 33.0% from the field and 28.3% from three, though he was always known to be a project who would take multiple years to be ready for major contributions.

As for roster moves, Boone says the team could use another center or power forward, especially one who can shoot. Meanwhile, Tre Mann appears to be on the road to recovery from a back injury that cut his season short and is entering restricted free agency. If he’s healthy, Boone believes that he might be more likely to sign a qualifying offer and hit the open market next year than to sign a long-term deal.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

6’4″ shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe is rumored to be a favorite for the Hornets‘ fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft if he’s still available, writes Boone. Boone points to his strong defensive pedigree as a great fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Lee’s system, but warns that he’ll need to improve his ball-handling to become a more well-rounded offensive threat.
After a strong second half of the season following a mid-year trade to the Heat, Davion Mitchell is expected to receive an $8.7MM qualifying offer making him a restricted free agent, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. However, Chiang writes that the most likely outcome is that the Heat allow another team to pursue an offer sheet with the 26-year-old defensive-minded guard before deciding how he fits into their future plans. Chiang writes that Mitchell could garner offers that approach the full mid-level exception ($14.1MM), and the Heat are only around $4MM from the luxury tax without much hope of putting together a top-tier team for next year. They are also expected to pursue as much cap space in 2026 as possible, making multiyear deals complicated.
After a career shooting year, Alec Burks is hoping to be back with the Heat next season, writes Chiang. “It was a good year. I learned a lot. Even though I’m in my 14th year, I still learned something. So I’m glad I was here,” Burks said. The soon-to-be 34-year-old started both play-in games for Miami but only appeared in Game 1 of the team’s first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. Coach Erik Spoelstra praised his ability to stay ready for whatever was asked of him, saying, “There aren’t a lot of vets that really want to accept these kinds of roles. That’s just the reality. And he is not only able to accept it, but he thrives in that role.”
The Hawks are desperately trying to move out of the middle of the pack to become a legitimate contender, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. The front office has decisions to make regarding the free agency of longtime center Clint Capela, who was supplanted this year by Onyeka Okongwu in the starting five, as well as new acquisitions Caris LeVert and Larry Nanc e Jr., which could decide how the team’s depth looks next season. Smith writes that it would make sense for LeVert and Atlanta to come to terms on a deal in the ballpark of $12MM annually over two or three years, while the team’s ability to retain Nance may rest on what kind of outside offers he gets. Dyson Daniels and Trae Young are both extension-eligible this summer, though Smith believes it would make more sense to extend Daniels than Young, given that Young’s role in the team’s long-term plans remains uncertain. And, of course, none of this is likely to happen before the team replaces recently fired general manager Landry Fields.