For several seasons, the Charlotte Hornets have been marred with mediocrity as the franchise tries to end its playoff absence. To make matters more interesting, despite being a terrible squad, the team has yet to fully capitalize on the NBA Draft.
This year, the Hornets will have another shot in improving their roster, as the Hornets will be selecting with the fourth overall pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. Hopefully, Charlotte’s front office will do much better this time around given that their past draft day moves were mostly regretful. Here is a look at the Hornets’ worst NBA Draft day mistakes, ranked.
Check out the gallery.
1. Kobe Bryant – 1996
Although arrangements were already made before draft night, had the Charlotte Hornets knew what Kobe Bryant was going to become, pretty sure the franchise would’ve moved heaven and earth to secure his services. But instead, at the 1996 NBA Draft, the Hornets immediately traded the Black Mamba after selecting him with the 13th overall pick, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. Bryant went on to win five NBA titles with the Lakers and ended his career as a Hall of Famer.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 2018
While the Bryant trade was already an eyebrow-raising move in hindsight, the same franchise traded another NBA MVP on draft night roughly 22 years later in the form of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After selecting SGA with the 11th overall pick at the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hornets dealt him to the Los Angeles Clippers for 12th overall pick Miles Bridges to go along with some second-round picks. Bridges faced his fair share of legal issues. On the other hand, SGA went on to become the 2025 NBA MVP.
3. James Bouknight – 2021
James Bouknight is one of the most regretful draft selections ever made in Hornets history. While he was an elite scorer for UConn, Bouknight also faced several legal issues once he signed with Charlotte. The 11th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft was arrested on DWI charges.
As a result, it only took 79 games across three seasons before the Hornets decided to part ways with the promising prospect. To add insult to injury, Charlotte could’ve used the draft pick to select Alperen Sengun instead, a big man who’s currently thriving with the Houston Rockets.
4. Adam Morrison – 2006
After a solid performance with Gonzaga, Adam Morrison’s draft stock was so high that Charlotte selected him with the third overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. Although he had a solid rookie year, making the All-Rookie team, a torn ACL derailed his career, and he was never the same.
The 6-foot-8 forward wouldn’t last long with the franchise and became a bench warmer for various teams, but still won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Other better options in the draft included Rajon Rondo, Brandon Roy, Kyle Lowry, and Rudy Gay.
5. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 2012
At the 2012 NBA Draft, there’s a possibility that the Charlotte front office got too hung up on Kentucky’s national championship run. After Anthony Davis went first overall, the Bobcats picked his teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the second overall pick. MGK played an instrumental role for Kentucky.
However, he was also limited offensively. Add injuries into the mix, and MGK failed to live up to expectations. To add insult to injury, Charlotte missed out on the opportunity to draft several future stars like Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Draymond Green.
6. Noah Vonleh – 2014
Prior to the 2014 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets saw potential in Noah Vonleh as a key contributor for their frontcourt needs. As a result, they selected him ninth overall at the 2014 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, Vonleh didn’t pan out after averaging only 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in his lone season in a Hornets uniform. Picking Vonleh meant missing out on eventual All-Star Zach LaVine and future three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
7. Cody Zeller – 2013
Cody Zeller gave a good account of himself with Indiana, having averaged 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Convinced with his potential, Charlotte drafted the 7-foot center with the fourth overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft. Zeller played for eight seasons with the Hornets but was an underwhelming starting center. Furthermore, any basketball fan wouldn’t pick Zeller over the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Rudy Gobert.
8. Frank Kaminsky – 2015
Frank Kaminsky was penciled in to be the next big thing after a spectacular showing with the University of Wisconsin. The Hornets mistakenly bought into the hype. As a result, the Hornets drafted the Wisconsin star with the ninth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, the front office’s worst fears were realized when he wasn’t able to translate his game into the NBA level. Had they not jumped the gun, Devin Booker would’ve been the better choice.
9. Gerald Henderson – 2009
After showcasing his scoring prowess with Duke University, the Bobcats were impressed, as they decided to select him with the 12th overall pick of the draft. While Henderson did get buckets as a starter for Charlotte, his production rarely translated to wins, and hip injuries prevented him from taking his game to the next level. Impact players who were selected later, like Danny Green and Jrue Holiday, might’ve panned out better for the franchise.
10. Tidjane Salaun – 2024
Tidjane Salaun was a promising prosect, given that he possessed some physical advantages in his draft class. However, the French prospect was also raw, requiring some patience for development. With the Hornets picking sixth overall at the 2024 NBA Draft, they decided to go with Salaun.
Fast-forward to the 2024-25 season, Salaun put up a forgettable rookie season, averaging just 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 33.0% shooting. Given that he’s still a developing rookie, there’s still time for him to turn it around. But for now, the selection of the French prospect isn’t looking good for the Hornets.
The post Hornets’ 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history appeared first on ClutchPoints.
