Charlotte Hornets: Offseason Summary 2020

Outside of the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets may have had the best offseason out of any team in the Eastern Conference. Not only did they add two potential All-Stars to their roster but they made an upgrade over nearly every player they lost this fall.

The Hornets will be looking to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs this season, even if nobody in Charlotte says it out loud.

Hornets Offseason Additions

PlayerTransaction
LaMelo BallDraft (3rd)
Vernon Carey Jr.Draft (32nd)
Nick RichardsDraft (42nd)
Grant RillerDraft (56th)
Gordon HaywardSign-and-trade (BOS)

Biggest Acquisitions

  • Gordon Hayward: Gordon Hayward wanted an expanded role after years of sacrificing for the benefit of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s development. One of the most complete players in the NBA, Hayward immediately becomes the best player the Hornets have.
  • LaMelo Ball: LaMelo Ball could be the future face of the franchise. A generational passing talent that could be East Coast version of Luka Doncic, Ball’s potential and career trajectory are so promising that he’s arguably the most important player on the roster.

Hornets Offseason Subtractions

PlayerTransaction
Dwayne BaconFree Agency (ORL)
Willy HernangomezFree Agency (NOP)
Nicolas BatumFree Agency (LAC)
Kobi SimmonsFree Agency
Ray SpaldingFree Agency

Biggest Losses

  • Dwyane Bacon: Dwyane Bacon may not have put up eye-popping stats for the Charlotte Hornets in his time there but he was a mainstay in the rotation and provided valuable defense and 3-point shooting. Had he received more playing time, he would have likely demanded more consistent minutes.
  • Willy Hernangomez: One of the Hornets’ other underused players due to a position logjam was Willy Hernangomez, a smooth low-post scorer and facilitator with great size for the center position at 6’11” and 250 pounds.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

AtlanticCentralSoutheast
BostonChicagoAtlanta
BrooklynClevelandCharlotte
New YorkDetroitMiami
PhiladelphiaIndianaOrlando
TorontoMilwaukeeWashington
NorthwestPacificSouthwest
DenverGolden StateDallas
MinnesotaLA ClippersMemphis
OklahomaLA LakersNew Orleans
PortlandPhoenixHouston
UtahSacramentoSan Antonio