LaMelo Ball’s Point Guard Replacement Confident In Charlotte Hornets Next Season

The Charlotte Hornets will be opening a new era next season after trading their former All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves last month. 

Despite trading away their star guard and former franchise cornerstone, Coby White, who is expected to take over the role left by Ball at the point guard slot, remains confident about the team’s composition for next season. 

Talking to the Charlotte Observer, White expressed excitement about what is next for the Hornets, considering the team’s new players such as reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid and the expected leaps for Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, both of whom will now be the go-to guys for the squad. 

“I think we have a very, very good team,” White said. “We have a lot of very, very good players. I also think we have a lot of selfless players, so that should make it easier to build real cohesion. 

Charlotte Hornets Already In The Lab For Next Season

GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 02: (L-R) Coby White #3, Moussa Diabate #14, and Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets look on in the second half against the Phoenix Suns during their game at Spectrum Center on April 02, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

White also bared that many players from the current Hornets roster are already in Charlotte to work on their games and build chemistry for next season.

“Many of us are already here, in Charlotte, working, and that’s an important step since we’re only in August,” he said. “We don’t see that often in the NBA. It already shows how invested everyone is. Now, it’s about doing things together, collectively, and progressing every day, on the court and off it. Because we all place a lot of importance on building this brotherhood off the court too. It’s just as important as what we do on the floor.”

Aside from Reid, the Hornets will also welcome Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to the team as part of the Miles Bridges trade. Dorian Finney-Smith is also now part of the Hornets after being traded away from the Houston Rockets. 

They will also have promising rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson to add depth to the Hornets roster. 

The Hornets finished the 2025-2026 NBA regular season with a 44-38 record, securing ninth place in the Eastern Conference. This marked a stellar 25-win improvement under head coach Charles Lee, which was the largest year-over-year turnaround in franchise history. 

Most of that success was attributed to Ball being a healthy engine of the team’s offense. Now, the challenge for the Hornets is to tap into other players’ strengths to create an even more formidable squad. 

Coby White Is Warning The Entire NBA About The Charlotte Hornets

GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 14: Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after defeating the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Coby White is also warning the entire league about the Charlotte Hornets, considering the team’s potential to be a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference. 

“We have the potential to become a very good team and surprise a lot of people, but we have to work for it. And that work is exactly what we’re doing right now,” White said. 

However, the Hornets must navigate past a reinforced Eastern Conference squad such as the LeBron James-bannered Philadelphia 76ers, rejuvenated Boston Celtics, new-look Atlanta Hawks, promising Washington Wizards, perennial contenders Cleveland Cavaliers, and reigning NBA champion New York Knicks. 

For now, the Hornets are expected to continue honing their chemistry this offseason. 

Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post LaMelo Ball’s Point Guard Replacement Confident In Charlotte Hornets Next Season appeared first on HEAVY.