Preseason is over and the 2024-25 NBA campaign is upon us.
As the Charlotte Hornets begin their quest to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought and tip off the second year under coach Charles Lee, questions abound.
In this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about whether Collin Sexton or Miles Bridges will be on the roster at season’s end, should there be concerns at the center position, if Brandon Miller will make an All-Star weekend appearance and more.
Collin Sexton
@wbd3238 asks on X, formerly known as Twitter: Collin Sexton is on an expiring contract. Do they hope to retain, or is he expected to be a trade piece?
When players are on an expiring contract, it always makes them a little more enticing to rival league executives. And Sexton likely is no different based on his skill set. But after just acquiring Sexton this summer, it’s probably going to take a lot for the Hornets to move him prior to the trade deadline in February.
He’s come in and established a presence as a leader, and connected with star guard LaMelo Ball really rapidly. He’s also someone the Hornets can turn to immediately if Ball gets injured as he has during each of his five seasons.
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.
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges hangs on the rim after a slam dunk during a mid-October preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. Brian Westerholt USA TODAY NETWORK
Miles Bridges
Caleb Wygal asks on X: If Miles Bridges plays this well all season, he’ll be a hot commodity on the trade market with his contract. I know people have said that his descending contract makes him very tradeable, but would the front office be nuts to not hold onto him?
From this vantage point, hanging onto Miles Bridges for the entire season makes sense for a number of reasons. And right at the very top of that list should be five words capitalized and maybe even in bold print. He wants to be here. He’s said more than once that if he had his way he’d go the route of a Dirk Nowitzki and suit up for the same franchise for his entire career.
As Bridges showed during the preseason, he is still very productive in a variety of facets and his synergy with Ball is unparalleled, easily the best in the team. Yes even ahead of Brandon Miller. Bridges’ 3-point shot appears to be refined and his versatility allows coach Charles Lee to move him around.
Unless things unravel this season and the Hornets are nowhere near playoff contention come February, trading Bridges only makes sense if the compensation package in return is robust enough where it’s something Charlotte simply can’t turn down.
Center position
@sweetcheeks9296 asks on Blue Sky: How concerned are you about the center position on this team?
Concern probably isn’t the right word. Another word that begins with the letter ‘c’ may be a good way to go about describing it. That would be curious. Most teams have question marks with at least one key spot and for the Hornets, given the guard-heavy roster, theirs centers around the center spot (see star we did there!). It’s really going to depend on how quickly Ryan Kalkbrenner develops because from the early reviews and impressions, he has the ability to be a really solid player.
And since he played in college for five seasons, he has more experience than a typical second-round draftee so that could end up happening sooner than later. The other question revolves around how the centers fare when guarding players of their stature who like to play more on the perimeter. Moussa Diabate has lateral quickness, but being undersized could hurt against taller players on the interior.
Either way, it all goes back to Kalkbrenner, and how rapidly he can step into the role as starter in the main guy at the ‘five’ position.
Roster strength
Ed Kelinski asks on X: What roster holes still exist?
It’s not necessarily a hole, but it’s going to be interesting to see how things shake out at power forward until Grant Williams is back in the lineup and his right ACL fully recovered. That’s where their depth will be tested.
Which means there could be an opportunity for Tidjane Salaun to get key rotational minutes, and it’s up to the young Frenchman to seize it and take advantage. That would create a good problem for Lee that he surely would welcome with open arms, ensuring he can count on all the interchangeable pieces of his lineups.
Brandon Miller
Bama_Racer#6 asks on X: Should Brandon Miller enter the dunk contest?
That may be a tough ask following the wrist surgery, but it would be a cool thing from this vantage point. His ability to get up, especially on his Statue of Liberty type of throw downs, makes him an intriguing candidate for the dunk contest.
However, if the third-year pro is a part of All-Star Saturday night festivities? Seeing him cut loose beyond the arc in the 3-point contest would be fun. He’s one of those guys who, when he lets it loose, you almost think, is going in every time.
So he’s the perfect player to have in the contest. Especially with him being an up-and-coming rising star, it would be good for the league to showcase him to the global audience. Knowing Charlotte doesn’t get very many national TV appearances.