PREVIEW: Who Will Hornets Be Watching at NBA Draft Combine | What's a Successful Offseason Look Like?

Nata Edwards returns for his weekly visit to help answer a big fan question: what separates a successful offseason from a failed one for the Charlotte Hornets? Walker and Doug chime in with their own criteria—whether it’s roster direction, adding shooting, or giving Charles Lee the right tools to execute his system. Plus, what’s a fair deal to bring back Tre Mann? And is there a Malik Beasley-type out there who could help right now?

Doug is also headed to Chicago for his first ever NBA Combine—and he’s absolutely locked in on one thing: the shuttle drill. Nata lists several must-watch prospects like Rasheer Fleming, Derik Queen, and Khaman Maluach who need a strong showing to boost their draft stock. The group also discusses the critical importance of interviews—especially for polarizing names like Ace Bailey—and the kind of questions teams should be asking.

Then it’s time to react to a fresh mock draft where the Hornets fall to No. 6 but still land Tre Johnson. Nata explains why he thinks Tre is more than just a scorer—he could be the best player in the class outside of Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. The second round picks—Johni Broome and Adou Thiero—get a quick but insightful breakdown.

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Top 35 Hornets Nicknames of All-Time According to Doug Branson: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-nicknames-in-hornets-franchise

Top 35 Hornets of All-Time According to Walker Mehl: https://hornets.substack.com/p/the-top-35-players-in-hornets-history

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