What happened
Charlotte enters 2026-27 after a 44-38 finish and play-in exit, with LaMelo Ball gone, Coby White re-signed, and Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Dennis Schröder added while the team opens Oct. 21 at Brooklyn.
The preseason note says White and Kon Knueppel are out for the entire exhibition slate, which could temporarily push Schröder into the lead guard role and Allen into a starting shooting-guard spot if they are not ready for opening night.
Charlotte’s new offensive options may reshape the early rotation, but the backcourt remains unsettled until the injured perimeter pieces are cleared. The opening week schedule gives the Hornets an immediate chance to test those combinations.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Charlotte Hornets season preview: Opening schedule, win projection and everything to know for 2026-27 — Yahoo Sports ↗