Hornets Secure No. 4 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft Lottery

The Charlotte Hornets once again fell short in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, landing the fourth overall pick despite having one of the highest chances to secure the top spot. The Dallas Mavericks, with only a 1.8% chance, won the lottery and are expected to select Duke standout Cooper Flagg, a generational prospect the Hornets had hoped to draft. This marks another missed opportunity for Charlotte, which has never won the lottery since re-entering the league in 2004 and has frequently hovered near the top picks without landing the first overall selection. With Flagg likely off the board, the Hornets may target other top prospects such as Rutgers players Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper to bolster their rebuilding efforts. The outcome continues a frustrating pattern for the Hornets, who are striving to end the NBA's longest playoff drought and improve a roster that finished with a 19-63 record in the 2024-25 season. While fourth overall is still a valuable pick, the Hornets face the challenge of competing against teams with more established success and deeper talent pools ahead of them.