Record1-0home 0-0 · road 1-0
Last 101-0streak W 1
Net rating+4.92025-26 · ORtg 118.4 · DRtg 113.5
Pace97.6eFG% 55.2 · TS% 58.9
Injuries43 out · 0 questionable
Rumors6tagged in the last feeds
3 things to know
today1Home vs ATL on Fri, Oct 23, 7:00 PM ET.2Grant Williams is out (Hamstring · Leg · Right), 2 more listed.3Top rumor: Hornets Waive Pat Connaughton · 71% confidence · Shams Charania.
Season opener1day away · Fri, Oct 23 · vs ATLWho led the HornetsFull roster →
PointsBrandon Millerper game · 2025-2620.2
ReboundsMoussa Diabateper game8.7
AssistsDennis Schroderper game4.9
Latest · Hornets
All Hornets news →Previewjust nowHawks at Hornets preview: unbeaten Atlanta visits short-handed CharlotteBoth teams are 1-0 going into Friday's 7:00 p.m. ET game at Spectrum Center. Atlanta has won its last five games, while Charlotte will be without Coby White, Grant Williams and Kylan Boswell.Read the story →
Recap46 min agoBrandon Miller's 17 by halftime sets up Hornets' 110-103 win in BrooklynPreview1 d agoHornets at Nets opener: Charlotte short-handed at Barclays
Recap46 min agoBrandon Miller's 17 by halftime sets up Hornets' 110-103 win in BrooklynPreview1 d agoHornets at Nets opener: Charlotte short-handed at BarclaysPodcast
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Salary cap · 2026-27
Full cap sheet$170.6M$5.6M over the $165.0M cap · 18 contracts
Reid
White
Allen
Naz Reid $23.3M · Coby White $22.8M · Grayson Allen $18.1M · Brandon Miller $15.1M
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Hornets at Nets: Ryan Kalkbrenner Postgame Media Availability | 10/21/2026
Hornets open vs. Atlanta with Knueppel, White and Williams on injury report
The Hornets open the 2026-27 regular season at home against Atlanta on Oct. 23. Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams are all listed as out, with an estimated return of opening day. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are gone, and Brandon Miller has agreed to a five-year extension, per Shams Charania.
By the Hornets Nightly Desk · updated 1 h ago01The story of the nightOpening night comes with injury questionsThe Hornets open the regular season at Spectrum Center against Atlanta on Oct.
The Hornets open the regular season at Spectrum Center against Atlanta on Oct. 23. The injury report is the story heading in. Kon Knueppel is out with a left hamstring injury. Grant Williams is out with a right hamstring injury. Coby White is out with a left calf injury. All three have an estimated return date of Oct. 23, the day of the opener, so their status is still open. Rookie guard Kylan Boswell is out with a right knee injury and is not expected back before Nov. 2. Knueppel averaged 18.5 points last season and White averaged 17.4. Losing both would take a big piece of the scoring out of the lineup on night one. Charlotte closed out the preseason with a 110-103 win at Brooklyn on Oct. 21.
02A new look without Ball and BridgesThe team that went 44-38 last season looks different now.
The team that went 44-38 last season looks different now. LaMelo Ball is with the Timberwolves. Miles Bridges is with the Suns. Josh Green went to the Jazz and Tre Mann went to the Wizards. The Ball and Bridges departures cut the deepest. Last season's most-used lineup paired them with Moussa Diabate, Brandon Miller and Knueppel. That group played 509.0 minutes over 49 games with a net rating of 26.4. Bridges was in all five of the most-used lineups, and Ball was in four. Only Miller, Knueppel, Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James remain from those units. The front office also trimmed the camp roster in October. Charlotte waived Pat Connaughton, per Shams Charania, and then waived Jarkel Joiner and Latrell Wrightsell.
03Miller and Knueppel are the coreBrandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the foundation.
Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the foundation. Miller led the team in scoring last season. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 65 games, with a plus-minus of 5.7. Per Shams Charania, Miller and the Hornets agreed to a five-year extension on Oct. 19. Knueppel is 21 and entering his second season. He played 81 games as a rookie and averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He shot 42.5% from three, the best mark among last season's regulars. The two shared the floor in the team's best lineup last season. Keeping them healthy is the first job. Knueppel's hamstring is the immediate concern with the Atlanta game up next.
04Guards and wings: experience over flashWith Ball gone, the backcourt runs through veterans.
With Ball gone, the backcourt runs through veterans. Coby White, 26, averaged 17.4 points and 4.0 assists in 50 games last season. Grayson Allen averaged 16.5 points and 3.8 assists in 51 games and shot 34.9% from three. Dennis Schroder, 33, is in his 13th season. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 70 games last season, the most assists among last season's regulars. Royce O'Neale, also 33, averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 78 games and shot 40.8% from three. Sion James played 82 games last season and averaged 5.4 points. Rookies Christian Anderson, 20, and Michael Ajayi add depth on the perimeter while Boswell is sidelined.
05The frontcourt rotationNaz Reid gives Charlotte a scoring option at center.
Naz Reid gives Charlotte a scoring option at center. Last season he averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 77 games and shot 36.2% from three. Moussa Diabate was the top rebounder among last season's regulars at 8.7 per game in 26.0 minutes, with a plus-minus of 4.7. Ryan Kalkbrenner averaged 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 69 games. PJ Hall is another option at center. Grant Williams, out with the hamstring injury, is a forward with seven years in the league. Liam McNeeley and Tidjane Salaun, both 21, and rookie Hannes Steinbach, 20, round out the forwards. How the minutes get split behind Miller up front will shape the early rotation.
06The schedule ahead and the bar to clearCharlotte plays 80 regular-season games, 9 of them on national TV.
Charlotte plays 80 regular-season games, 9 of them on national TV. The first week is busy. Atlanta on Oct. 23 and Miami on Oct. 24 make a home back-to-back to open the season. Washington visits on Oct. 26. Then the Hornets go to Detroit on Oct. 28 and to Washington on Oct. 30 for an Emirates NBA Cup game. Last season's numbers set the bar. Charlotte posted a 118.4 offensive rating, a 113.5 defensive rating and a 4.9 net rating. The Hornets scored 116.0 points per game at a 97.6 pace, with a 55.2 effective field goal percentage. Matching that without Ball and Bridges is the test for this roster.
Questions fans ask
When is the Hornets' 2026-27 season opener?
The Hornets open at home against Atlanta on Oct. 23 at Spectrum Center. They host Miami the next night, Oct. 24.
Will Kon Knueppel play in the Hornets' opener?
Knueppel is listed as out with a left hamstring injury, with an estimated return date of Oct. 23, the day of the opener. Coby White and Grant Williams carry the same estimated return date.
Where did LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges go?
LaMelo Ball is now with the Timberwolves and Miles Bridges is with the Suns. Josh Green went to the Jazz and Tre Mann went to the Wizards.
Did Brandon Miller sign an extension with the Hornets?
Per Shams Charania, Miller and the Hornets agreed to a five-year extension on Oct. 19. Miller averaged 20.2 points last season.
What was the Hornets' record last season?
Charlotte went 44-38 last season. The Hornets had a 4.9 net rating and scored 116.0 points per game.
How many Hornets games are on national TV this season?
The Hornets have 9 national TV games among their 80 regular-season games.
Next upFull schedule →
The franchise
every season since 1988 →All time1237-1640.430 over 36 seasons · season by season →Championships00 conference · 0 division titles · every champion →Playoffs1028% of seasons · longest win streak 10 · series vs every team →
2025-2644-38Missed the playoffsCharlotte Hornets · .537 win pct
1988-89bar height = win percentage · the line marks .5002025-26
What changed
Last 36 hours▼ Standings27 min agoSeed 3 → 61-0Injury48 min agoKon Knueppel: Day-To-DayHamstring · Leg · Left▲ Standings58 min agoSeed 6 → 31-0▲ Standings2 h agoSeed 8 → 61-0Final2 h ago110 – 103 Rumor1 d agoEastern Notes: Watson, Sharp, Hornets Injuries, Magic InjuriesInjury1 d agoKylan Boswell: OutKnee · Leg · RightInjury1 d agoMoussa Diabate: Clearedwas Day-To-Day
Injury tracker
updated 3 min ago · full report →| Player | Status | Injury | Est. return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Williams | Out | Hamstring · Leg · Right | 2026-10-23 |
| Coby White | Out | Calf · Leg · Left | 2026-10-23 |
| Kylan Boswell | Out | Knee · Leg · Right | 2026-11-02 |
| Kon Knueppel | Day-To-Day | Hamstring · Leg · Left | 2026-10-23 |
Rotation tracker · player stock
liveThis season · 1 games · bar = minutes of 48
Stock compares the last five games with the season average: ▲ +4 min or more, ▼ −4 or less.
Final
MIL90
CHA105Sun, Oct 11
Final
CHA93
BOS114Wed, Oct 14
Final
CHA98
MEM116Fri, Oct 16
Final
CHA110
BKN103Wed, Oct 21
7:00 PM ET
ATLCHAFri, Oct 23
6:00 PM ET
MIACHASat, Oct 24
7:00 PM ET
WASCHAMon, Oct 26
7:00 PM ET
CHA
DETWed, Oct 28
7:00 PM ET
CHAWASFri, Oct 30
6:00 PM ETNBA TV
PHICHASat, Oct 31 · NBA TV
Head-to-head
Hornets vs every team →HawksDivision68-74.479Next Fri, Oct 23 · home · 4 leftWizardsDivision75-65.536Next Mon, Oct 26 · home · 4 leftBulls50-87.365Next Wed, Nov 25 · home · 3 leftBucks62-74.456Next Sun, Jan 3 · away · 3 leftPistons66-69.489Next Wed, Oct 28 · away · 4 leftPacers58-77.430Next Mon, Mar 8 · away · 3 leftCavaliers52-82.388Next Mon, Nov 9 · home · 3 leftHeatDivision50-83.376Next Sat, Oct 24 · home · 4 leftNets61-71.462Next Wed, Nov 4 · away · 3 leftKnicks60-72.455Next Tue, Feb 9 · away · 3 leftCeltics47-83.362Next Fri, Nov 6 · home · 4 left76ers61-69.469Next Sat, Oct 31 · home · 4 leftMagicDivision63-67.485Next Wed, Dec 23 · away · 4 leftRaptors51-53.490Next Mon, Dec 14 · home · 3 leftJazz25-48.342Next Thu, Jan 14 · away · 2 leftRockets21-52.288Next Fri, Jan 22 · home · 2 leftNuggets31-41.431Next Thu, Jan 7 · home · 2 leftWarriors33-39.458Next Wed, Jan 13 · away · 2 leftSuns27-45.375Next Thu, Nov 12 · away · 2 leftKings40-32.556Next Sun, Jan 10 · away · 2 leftSpurs26-46.361Next Thu, Dec 31 · home · 2 leftTrail Blazers21-50.296Next Sat, Dec 19 · home · 2 leftLakers27-44.380Next Tue, Nov 17 · away · 2 leftMavericks26-45.366Next Tue, Jan 19 · away · 2 leftTimberwolves44-26.629Next Fri, Jan 29 · away · 2 leftThunder24-46.343Next Fri, Dec 18 · home · 2 leftClippers25-45.357Next Sun, Nov 15 · away · 2 leftGrizzlies29-26.527Next Mon, Nov 23 · home · 2 leftPelicans14-29.326Next Wed, Mar 10 · home · 2 left
| # | Player | Pos | Ht | Age | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 |  Royce O'Neale | F | 6-6 | 33 | 9.8 | 4.8 | 2.7 |
| 0 |  Naz Reid | C-F | 6-9 | 27 | 13.6 | 6.2 | 2.2 |
| 2 |  Grant Williams | F | 6-7 | 27 | 7.0 | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| 3 | Coby White | G | 6-5 | 26 | 17.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| 4 |  Sion James | G | 6-5 | 23 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| 5 |  Christian Anderson | G | 6-1 | 20 | — | — | — |
| 7 |  Kon Knueppel | G-F | 6-6 | 21 | 18.5 | 5.3 | 3.4 |
| 8 |  Grayson Allen | G | 6-4 | 31 | 16.5 | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| 11 |  Ryan Kalkbrenner | C | 7-1 | 24 | 7.6 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
| 14 |  Moussa Diabate | F | 6-10 | 24 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 1.9 |
| 16 |  PJ Hall | C | 6-9 | 24 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 0.5 |
| 17 |  Dennis Schroder | G | 6-1 | 33 | 10.8 | 2.7 | 4.9 |
| 22 |  Hannes Steinbach | F | 6-10 | 20 | — | — | — |
| 24 |  Brandon Miller | F | 6-7 | 23 | 20.2 | 4.9 | 3.3 |
| 31 | Tidjane Salaun | F | 6-10 | 21 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 0.7 |
| 33 | Liam McNeeley | F | 6-8 | 21 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| Kylan Boswell | G | 6-1 | 21 | — | — | — | |
| Michael Ajayi | G | 6-7 | 23 | — | — | — |
Per-game stats: 2025-26 (last season, until the new one tips off).
Most-used lineups
2025-26| Five | GP | Min | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. Bridges - L. Ball - M. Diabaté - B. Miller - K. Knueppel | 49 | 509 | +26.4 |
| M. Bridges - L. Ball - B. Miller - R. Kalkbrenner - K. Knueppel | 23 | 111 | +7.2 |
| M. Bridges - L. Ball - M. Diabaté - K. Knueppel - S. James | 26 | 91 | +16.6 |
| M. Bridges - C. Sexton - R. Kalkbrenner - K. Knueppel - S. James | 16 | 69 | +10.6 |
| M. Bridges - L. Ball - R. Kalkbrenner - K. Knueppel - S. James | 15 | 59 | -15.0 |
| M. Bridges - M. Diabaté - B. Miller - K. Knueppel - S. James | 25 | 54 | -6.9 |
Trade radar
6 tagged · all rumors →hoopsrumors · 1 d ago
via Shams Charania · 2 d ago
hoopsrumors · 3 d ago
hoopsrumors · 4 d ago
via Shams Charania · 5 d ago
hoopsrumors · 6 d ago
Team stats 2025-26: 116.0 PPG · 46.1 RPG · 26.3 APG
Coaching staff
all 30 benches →Head CoachCharles Lee
Blaine MuellerAssistant Coach
Jermaine BucknorAssistant Coach
Joshua LongstaffAssistant Coach
Kemba WalkerAssistant Coach
Kyle NeptuneAssistant Coach
Lamar SkeeterAssistant Coach
Matt HillAssistant Coach
Ryan FrazierAssistant Coach
Zach PetersonAssistant Coach
About this desk
how Hoops Nightly is made →Hornets Nightly DeskOne of 30 desks in the Hoops Nightly newsroom · no individual bylines, one accountable publisherEverything in the Hornets section is written from this club's own data, under the newsroom's rules: the desk rewrites a page when the data behind it changes, and dates every one of them. The morning briefing lands at 7:00 ET; the game-night show launches with the club's social channels, in two voices — the host and the analyst, roles rather than people.
- Players
- 18
- Games 2026-27
- 84
- Reports logged
- 36
- Videos indexed
- 112
- Home TV
- DAZN-CHA / TV 64/DAZN-CHA / WSOC 9/DAZN-CHA