The Charlotte Hornets enter the regular season hoping to end the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, and they’ll have some new pieces to fuel a run to the postseason.
After finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 19-63 record last season, the Hornets will look to put an injury-plagued season behind them. Star point guard LaMelo Ball appeared in just 47 regular-season games due to ankle and wrist injuries, while Brandon Miller, the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, played just 27 games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right wrist in January.
The team brought in guard Collin Sexton to provide a spark off the bench, and he’ll likely serve as the primary backup should Ball or Miller miss time. Sexton was acquired from the Utah Jazz this offseason, though his expiring contract may make him a target for contending teams ahead of the trade deadline in February.
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Hornets appear unlikely to trade Collin Sexton
Sexton is coming off a solid season on a tanking Jazz squad and has been a productive scorer throughout his career. Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer suggested it would take “a lot” for the Hornets to move him this season and believes retaining the 26-year-old should be a priority for the team this offseason.
“Sexton’s combination of on-court intensity and being a solid locker room presence should make him a priority to be re-signed and, at worst, moved in a sign-and-trade deal over the summer so he doesn’t just leave as an unrestricted free agent and the Hornets get nothing in return,” Boone wrote.
Sexton began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he showed flashes of potential stardom and averaged 24.3 points per game in his third season. However, he was ultimately dealt to Utah after an injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign in which he appeared in just 11 regular-season games.
Now, he’ll get a fresh start in Charlotte and may evolve into a long-term piece for a club aiming to end a nine-year streak of missing the postseason. The Hornets could look to move him midseason if they fall behind in the playoff race, but the East is relatively wide open, giving the Hornets a solid opportunity to rebound in the 2025-26 season.
