After a pretty eventful round one of the 2025 NBA Draft, everybody has had a night to compose themselves and regroup for round two. The Charlotte Hornets contributed to the chaos by trading Mark Williams for the second time this calendar year. Part of the return of that trade was the 29th pick last night, and they used that selection on Liam McNeeley out of UConn. Prior to all of that, they selected Duke’s Kon Knueppel fourth overall.
The Hornets added a lot of 3-point shooting but got rid of their starting center. They have the 33rd and 34th picks coming up, which will be the third and fourth selections made tonight. Here are the best players available according to my official and lightly informed rankings while also factoring in who’s already been drafted and traded away.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, big, Creighton
The Hornets have Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate as the only centers under contract for next season. Nurkic is definitely not in the long term plans, and for now, Diabate looks like he’s best suited as a hellion of the bench. The Hornets need depth here, and Kalkbrenner has a case as the best available big. He is very large, blocks a lot of shots, dunks everything, and has shown capable 3-point shooting.
Rasheer Fleming, forward, Saint Joseph’s
Fleming checks the 3-point shooting box that the Hornets’ first two picks, but he’s a slightly older prospect that doesn’t have the same offensive versatility. He’s a prototypical 3&D forward, and it’s not often players of that archetype of Fleming’s quality make it this far. He has a huge wingspan, generates a whole bunch of stocks, and he shot the ball well from three on high volume last season.
Noah Penda, wing, France
Penda fits part of the bill of the Hornets’ first two selections in the opposite way as Fleming. He has a great feel for the game and contributes in a number of ways while not being the most vertically explosive player. However, he needs to tighten up the 3-point shooting to find a consistent role at the next level.
Maxime Raynaud, big, Stanford
The Hornets purging their roster of centers like Mark Williams and Nick Richards has people thinking they want more shooting from the five spot. No big in this draft does that as well as Raynaud, who shot and made a lot of 3-pointers at Stanford. He’ll need to defend better, but we’ve seen how much stretch fives can cause problems for opposing defenses. Plus there’s hope for more development despite his age since he didn’t fully get into the sport until just a few years ago.
Adou Thiero, forward, Arkansas
The Hornets have drafted some players that shoot the ball well but aren’t explosive athletes. Why not go full 180 on Day 2? Thiero was never a shooter in his three year college career, but he’s a physical beast that uses his strength and athleticism to bully his way to buckets around the rim while generating lots of blocks and steals on the defensive end of the floor.
Bogoljub Marković, forward, KK Mega Basket (Serbia)
Serbian prospects taken in the second round have worked out pretty well before, amiright? Bogoljub is a pure shooter from all over the floor and he has solid passing instincts while standing at a long 6’10.” He needs to get stronger and work on his defense though.
Tyrese Proctor, guard, Duke
Proctor is a Duke player. He’s a smart, selfless player that can shoot the ball and makes the right plays. He’s not a great athlete, but the Hornets have prioritized skill and feel so far in this draft. Proctor fits into that same mold as a guy who looks like he’ll be a solid, versatile player on both ends of the floor.