After years of meandering in the NBA’s no-man’s land, never quite good enough to contend, never bad enough to rebuild fully, the Charlotte Hornets finally made assertive moves in the 2025 offseason. They addressed the glaring instability in their backcourt. They patched up the center rotation. They even added some veteran leadership.
However, they missed one move, arguably the most important one. Despite every signal pointing toward it, Charlotte failed to sign a versatile two-way wing, the kind of player that’s become the heartbeat of every modern NBA contender. The absence of such a player might not just stall their Play-In hopes, it could also undo much of the progress they've made this summer.