In terms of what I think needs to change for this team to take the next step has kind of already started to happen. New ownership, reconstructed front office, and making small trades for draft capital are some big things that Charlotte has done in the past year. I personally believe this team as constructed could’ve made some noise and at least made the Play-in Tournament if healthy, and that’s also where the root of the problem is. This season, LaMelo Ball played in 47 games, Brandon Miller played in 27 games, Mark Williams played in 44 games, Tre Mann played in only 13 games, and Grant Williams was only available for 16 games this season. Mark Williams, who was drafted in the summer of 2022, has never stepped foot on an NBA floor with neither Tre Mann nor Grant Williams, who were both acquired at the trade deadline of 2024. In order for things to genuinely change in Charlotte, health has to be the number one priority. I also believe signing older players on veteran minimums (a "veteran minimum" contract refers to the lowest salary a player with three or more years of experience can be signed to) would help a lot considering the fact that those guys are often great for the locker room and can also play a major role in the development of the younger players, which this team is full of. The Hornets for the past decade have been trying to build a winning team strictly through the draft, which is understandable, considering the fact that Charlotte has never been a true point of interest for big names in free agency, but they haven’t really drafted well in recent memory, aside from LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Miles Bridges none of their drafties have thrived in the NBA and to make things even worse, Miles Bridges wasn’t even selected by Charlotte, he was selected and traded by the Los Angeles Clippers in return for current OKC superstar and MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so that can also be categorized as another “draft miss”.