Last year, Charlotte limped to a lottery finish. But this year’s narrative is different: they’ve added veterans (Sexton, Dinwiddie, Connaughton, Plumlee) to support their young core.
This isn’t a rebuild in the shadows — it’s a season designed to show that the Hornets can take a step. If they overperform, they gain flexibility (trade leverage, credibility among free agents). If they underperform, the direction becomes clearer: tank harder, reset again, or pivot on personnel.
