When Will the Charlotte Hornets Go All-In?

Jeff Peterson is building something in Charlotte, but it's going to take some time to reach the ultimate goal.

It's not going to happen overnight, but sometime in the very near future the Charlotte Hornets are going to become a problem in the Eastern Conference.

I'm not even going to get into the health stuff this time because at this point, everyone knows that's been the main reason for this team's demise over the past two years. If you are just a casual NBA fan and just happen to look at the Hornets' record since the start of 2022-23, you'll be easily fooled. This team is full of young, intriguing talent.

The question really is: When does Jeff Peterson decide to push all of his chips to the middle of the table and go all-in?

First, we have to make it known that Charlotte's version of going for it is a little different than say, the Lakers, Knicks, or any other big market team. They're not going to form some super team here in the Queen City, but they can still spend a level of money that they haven't done in year's past by complimenting the young nucleus.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the 2024-25 season isn't the year to do it. This season is more about setting the foundation and the culture that VP of Basketball Ops Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee want for this franchise.

It's also to evaluate the existing talent to get a clear picture of where help is needed and who they see being a part of this thing long-term. You can make some assumptions after watching from afar and then being on the job for a handful of months, but you really don't know what you have until you go through an entire NBA season and see how guys handle varying levels of adversity.

Another reason I don't see Charlotte pushing for it this year, aside from the fact of now having enough talent, is that they will be sending their first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs if they fall out of the top 14. If they end up having a pick in the top 14 then Charlotte will convey its 2026 2nd round pick and 2027 2nd round draft pick to San Antonio. With a much deeper draft in 2025, there's not a whole lot of motivation (I would think) to add at the deadline and pursue a playoff run. If it happens, great, but I don't think that's their expectation in year one.

Brandon Miller is 21, LaMelo Ball is 22. Having stars that young is great, but the Hornets can't afford to wait too long to capitalize on Miller's rookie contract which goes through the 2026-27 season (assuming both club options are picked up). Assuming he, Ball, and Mark Williams continue to improve, this roster is only going to become more expensive. Ball's five-year, $203 million contract comes to an end following the 2028-29 season, so it would make sense for Peterson to start making some moves next summer and then really go for it in 2026-27 - the final year of Miller's rookie deal.

If the Hornets get close or are one of the top teams in the East at the time of Miller's contract expiring, he'll more than likely want to stay put and on top of that, you'll also start to see veterans around the league willing to come be a part of what they're building.

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