Just a year ago, the Charlotte Hornets won 43 games and made a play-in appearance. Nowadays, the Hornets have fallen on tough times. The team is 11-31, they have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and they are rumored to be sellers at the trade deadline. Things got bad quickly in the Queen City, and it may stay that way this season.
An Offseason That Stung the Charlotte Hornets
The most notable thing with this team going into the 2022-23 season is that they had a very rough offseason.
First, the Miles Bridges situation. Coming off his best year as a pro, Bridges was due for a lucrative contract extension. However, then came the allegations of domestic violence and child abuse from his ex-wife. Bridges was arrested in June and has not played in the league since last season. Even after pleading no contest to the domestic violence charge and having the child abuse charges dismissed, the Hornets have denied being in contact with Bridges, despite reports saying otherwise. At this point, Miles Bridges is likely done in Charlotte and maybe in the NBA.
After losing their play-in battle to Atlanta, head coach James Borrego was fired. Then they had to deal with Golden State assistant coach Kenny Atkinson reneging on his agreement to be the next head coach. They decided to bring back Steve Clifford, who coached the team from 2013-18, leading them to two playoff appearances.
Things got worse in the preseason when LaMelo Ball sprained his ankle in a preseason game. Ball missed the first 13 games of the season, where the Hornets went 3-10. To make matters worse, Ball missed 11 more games after spraining his ankle again. Similarly, the Hornets went 3-8 with Ball out of the lineup.
To add further insult to injury, James Bouknight, their first-round pick from 2021, was arrested with a DWI charge days before their season opener.
What Direction is Charlotte Going In?
Over the last couple of years, the Hornets have made win-now moves in hopes of competing in the Eastern Conference. Problem is, given the position this team is in this season, a rebuild may be necessary.
The biggest albatross on the team may be Gordon Heyward’s contract. Heyward signed a four-year, $120 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal from Boston in the 2020 offseason. Heyward is a productive player on the court. In Charlotte, he is averaging about 17/4/4 on 46/38/83% shooting splits. The problem is that he has often dealt with injuries during his three seasons in Charlotte.
Terry Rozier is another contract that has become questionable over time. After his most efficient season as a scorer, averaging 20.4 points per game on 57.5% true shooting, the Hornets locked him into a four-year, $97 million deal. This season, he has regressed greatly, in part due to Ball’s absence. Taking nearly 19 shots a game, Rozier’s true shooting has fallen to 50.8%.
The Charlotte Hornets made the win-now moves and hired a win-now coach, but they are not winning. You may see them active in the trade market. Between PJ Washington, Kelly Oubre Jr., Mason Plumlee, and Jalen McDaniels, there are several expiring contracts that the team can dump. Heyward’s contract expires after next season, and they need to extend LaMelo Ball in the future. It is realistic to expect the Hornets’ front office to begin a teardown of this current roster. It is not all their fault, but that is the predicament they find themselves in.
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