There are just a few weeks between now and the 2025 NBA Draft. The Charlotte Hornets landed at the fourth pick, and with that, they have a chance to start the drama. Most people expect them to go in one particular direction (as you’ll see in a moment), but it’s not a given. After that, the draft really turns into a guessing game. The Hornets have two picks at the top of the second round, and that’s where we really start to see some variety for Charlotte’s picks.
ESPN
4: VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
33: Labaron Philon, guard, Alabama
34: Adou Thiero, forward, Arkansas
The first of many mocking VJ Edgecombe to the Hornets. The explosive Baylor guard brings a defensive intensity the Hornets need and desire, and his athletic and shooting profiles provide a nice complement to the young group of players already on the roster.
The Hornets continue to lean into defensively minded players in the second round of ESPN’s mock. Philon is a wiry freshman out of Alabama with good defensive and playmaking instincts. Thiero is a forward or big wing that can guard just about any position is a strong driver of the basketball. Both need to work on shooting, which mean both fit the profile of just about every player the Hornets added over the course of this past season.
Yahoo Sports
4: VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
33: Bogoljub Marković, forward, Mega Basket
34: Koby Brea, wing, Kentucky
After Edgecome, Kevin O’Connor has the Hornets taking a different approach than the one ESPN projects. Both Marković and Brea are pure shooters, but both need to put in a lot of work in the gym to improve their strength and athleticism if they’re going to hold up as defenders at the NBA level.
CBS Sports
4: Kon Knueppel, wing, Duke
33: Ryan Kalkbrenner, big, Creighton
34: Walter Clayton, guard, Florida
We get thrown a curveball in this mock with the Hornets electing to pass on Edgecombe to select Duke’s Kon Knueppel. Knueppel is a sharpshooting wing with good size and an underrated skill set as an all around scorer.
The second round sees the Hornets take two accomplished collegiate stars. We talked about the goods and bads of Kalkbrenner the other day. He’s a highly accomplished help defender with terrific touch around the basket on the offensive end. Clayton is a March Madness superstar that at times carried Florida to and through the national championship game.
Sports Illustrated
4: VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
33: Hansen Yang, big, China
34: Bogoljub Marković, F, Mega Basket
We’re back to Edgecombe with the Hornets lottery pick. In the second round, we have another taker for Marković to give the Hornets a dash of outside shooting and a chance to stash a prospect. With the other pick at the top of the second round, the Hornets take Hansen Yang, the very large and intriguing prospect out of China. He has a bit of a throwback back to the basket center and has very good passing instincts for a big. The questions about him will always be about hit ability to move his feet and guard at a high level.
Tankathon
4: VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
33: Hugo Gonzalez, wing, Real Madrid (Spain)
34: Johni Broome, big, Auburn
After Edgecombe, the Hornets go in two very different directions with their second round picks. Gonzalez is a young, high motor wing that defends hard and attacks the basket. He needs to tighten up his offensive game to maximize is potential. Broome was runner up for NCAA player of the year last season. He has a great feel for the game and was a tremendous defender in college, but he’s heavy footed and might struggle to have the same defensive impact against NBA athletes.
NBA Draft Net
4: VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
33: Miles Byrd, wing, San Diego State
34: Hugo Gonzalez, wing, Real Madrid (Spain)
Defense defense defense. We wrap up with another pairing of Edgecombe and Gonzalez to bolster the Hornets depth and defense on the wing. This time, they’re complemented by Miles Byrd out of San Diego State. We talked about Byrd last week. He has insane defensive box score numbers and has shown bits and pieces of offensive talent that could blossom into more.