The Charlotte Hornets were established as an expansion team in 1988, but moved to New Orleans in 2002. After operating as the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, the Charlotte Bobcats' expansion franchise was formed in 2004 before reclaiming the Hornets name in 2014. Charlotte has failed to make the playoffs every year since 2016.
Charlotte turned 19 wins into 44 in 2025-26, reaching the play-in before Orlando ended the run. This summer, the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota, sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix, drafted two first-round rookies, and re-signed Coby White.
How Do the Hornets Look Heading Into 2026-27?
Charlotte closed the book on 2025-26 with a 44-38 record and a play-in loss to Orlando, then used the offseason to reshape the roster around a younger core. We are tracking the Hornets odds to make the playoffs, win the Southeast Division, and other odds throughout the 2026-27 season.
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Charlotte Hornets Offense
Charlotte's offense took a real step forward in 2025-26, finishing with an offensive rating of 115.6, 15th best in the NBA, as the team turned a 19-win season into 44 wins and a play-in berth. Here's a look at the Hornets' final offensive numbers from 2025-26, per NBA.com and ESPN:
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Charlotte Hornets Defense
Defense was a bigger issue for Charlotte in 2025-26. The Hornets finished with a defensive rating of 118.7, 26th in the NBA, while allowing an average of 111.2 points per game.
🏀 Points Per Game Allowed
111.2 (7th)
🏀 Steals Per Game
7.0 (28th)
🏀 Blocks Per Game
4.5 (21st)
✅ Rankings Last Verified:
July 10, 2026
Notable Charlotte Hornets Players
Coby White takes over as Charlotte's primary ball handler now that LaMelo Ball is gone, running an offense that still features Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller on the wings. Up front, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté give the Hornets size and rim protection they lost when Miles Bridges was traded away. Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale arrived from Phoenix to round out the wing rotation, and two rookies, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., fresh off a silver medal run with Germany's U19 team, add even more youth to an already young roster.
Here is a look at the expected roster for the 2026-27 season:
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Charlotte Hornets Rivals
Having a rivalry makes North Carolina sports betting that much more fun and engaging. The Hornets have a few of their own in the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Atlanta Hawks.
Washington Wizards (Hornets Lead 75-65)
The geographically-close Wizards and Hornets have a mini-rivalry, considering they are division rivals who play near each other. The other commonality they have is former Hornets owner Michael Jordan once played for the Wizards.
They have yet to play a truly meaningful playoff game or series, but in their bouts in the regular season they have been evenly matched. Their rivalry has been limited to trying to get atop the division.
Miami Heat (Heat Lead 83-50)
Despite having the same birth year, the Hornets and Heat have gone in two completely directions, with the Heat winning three NBA championships since 1988.
Some may say an actual rivalry budded between the teams in the 1990s when the Hornets traded fan-favorite center Alonzo Mourning to the Heat in November of 1995. The Heat also knocked the Hornets out of the playoffs in 2014 and 2016.
Atlanta Hawks (Hawks Lead 74-68)
The Hawks are the closest team geographically to the Hornets, naturally sparking a rivalry. The Hornets have done surprisingly well against the Hawks.
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NBA Hornets 2026-27 Season Outlook
It's a full rebuild on paper. Charlotte let go of two of its most talented players, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, in exchange for picks, prospects and complementary pieces.
Whether that pays off depends largely on internal development. Can Kon Knueppel build on a historic rookie shooting season? Does Brandon Miller take the leap into stardom? Can Moussa Diabaté hold down the center spot on a nightly basis? Add in two unproven rookies in Steinbach and Anderson Jr., and 2026-27 looks like a season about answering questions rather than chasing wins.
Charlotte Hornets Stadium
The Hornets play at the Spectrum Center, located in the Uptown area of Charlotte, North Carolina. It seats 19,077 for NBA games and 20,200 for college basketball games. It opened in 2005 and has been the home of the Hornets ever since.
The Hornets announced a partnership with bet365 Sportsbook North Carolina, so visitors at the Spectrum Center can see more sports betting integrations at the arena and on broadcasts.
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How to Get Tickets to Hornets Games?
The most direct method is to buy tickets for Charlotte Hornets games at the Spectrum Center through the team's official website and their Official Ticket Marketplace, Ticketmaster.
Another popular option is an online ticket resale marketplace like VividSeats or StubHub. These sites allow fans to shop for previously purchased tickets being resold by other individuals. Memberships and packages are also available through the Hornets Ticketing office for season tickets or multi-game deals.
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Charlotte Hornets FAQs
The Charlotte Hornets are partnered with bet365 Sportsbook in North Carolina. They announced an exclusive multiyear partnership on Nov. 17, 2023. Expect to see signage and other branding at the Spectrum Center, Hornets digital platforms, and TV and radio broadcasts.
There is only one NBA team in North Carolina: the Charlotte Hornets. The Charlotte Hornets are the only NBA team in North Carolina. They started out as an expansion team in Charlotte in 1988 before moving to New Orleans as the Hornets/Pelicans. The franchise moved back to Charlotte as the Bobcats from 2004-2014.
The ownership group is led by co-chairman Gabe Plotkin and majority owner Rick Schnall. Plotkin and Schnall purchased the majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets from NBA legend and North Carolina native Michael Jordan in June 2023. Jordan is still a minority owner, along with country singer Eric Church and rapper J Cole.
Yes, Michael Jordan still owns a minority stake the Hornets. He never owned 100% of the team, but was a minority owner from 2006-2010 and the majority owner from 2010-2023. He sold his stake to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall for $3 billion.
The team was called the Charlotte Hornets from 1988 to 2002. Then they moved to New Orleans, where they became known first as the New Orleans Hornets, then the New Orleans Pelicans. The then-Charlotte Bobcats came to Buzz City in 2004. In 2014, Charlotte reclaimed the Hornets moniker.
The Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans as then-owner George Shinn's decline in popularity led to a massive decrease in game attendance. Shinn was accused of kidnapping and sexual assault, and, though he was found not guilty, his tarnished reputation drove him and his team out of Charlotte. In 2002, the NBA awarded Charlotte a new expansion team.
The Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and Atlanta Hawks are the Charlotte Hornets' biggest rivals in North Carolina. The Charlotte Hornets play in the Southeast Division, as do the Heat, Wizards, and Hawks, so they face off four times a season.
The Charlotte Hornets primary colors are teal and dark purple. Their secondary colors are gray, black and light blue. After a 10-year stint as the Charlotte Bobcats with blue and black as their main colors, the franchise returned to the Hornets brand, including their former colors.
The best way to buy tickets directly for Charlotte Hornets games at the Spectrum Center is through the team's official website and their Official Ticket Marketplace, Ticketmaster. Another way to find tickets are through popular online ticket resale marketplaces like VividSeats or StubHub. Memberships and packages are available through the Hornets Ticketing office.
Robert B. Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of the Gambling.com Group team. In his spare time, he runs the largest sports meetup group in Orange County, CA, actively participating in every sport imaginable. He is also a published author of five thriller novels, all available on Amazon.
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