Charlotte Hornets

Covers the 6 tracked contracts at the top of this cap sheet — not the full 15-man roster · methods →

RebuildingApron exposureLow
Front Office Brief

CHA carries $82.1M of tracked production (27th of 30) against $101M of true cost, netting −$19.1M of surplus (8th of 30).

Tracked production$82.1M
Tracked true cost$101M
Net surplus−$19.1M
Tracked contracts6
FSI gradeC · 57/100
Build around Tidjane Salaun

With −$1.5M of surplus from Tidjane Salaun and −$19.1M team-wide, the live question is how to convert flexibility into a second star while the surplus window is open.

Charlotte Hornets · Franchise Strategy IndexExperimental
Overall57/100C

Weighted profile led by cap flexibility (96/100).

Roster quality12/100F

$82.1M of tracked production ranks 27th of 30 tracked teams.

Cap flexibility96/100A

$101M committed at the below-apron tier — room to operate.

Asset base75/100B

−$19.1M of aggregate surplus ranks 8th of 30 tracked teams.

Championship window37/100F

Blend of 12th-pct production now and 75th-pct surplus to build on.

Downside risk (inverse — higher is safer)72/100B

19% of spend sits in negative-surplus money (light concentration).

Optionality70/100B

0 positive-asset contracts plus open cap sheet.

Roster thesis

CHA carries $82.1M of tracked production (27th of 30) against $101M of true cost, netting −$19.1M of surplus (8th of 30). That profile reads rebuilding: an overall C-grade roster (57/100) whose defining trait is cap flexibility (96/100).

Best asset
Tidjane SalaunPaying a premium

Tidjane Salaun is the surplus engine: −$1.5M on $5.8M, 1.2 marginal wins of production.

Worst liability
LaMelo BallPaying a premium

LaMelo Ball is the drag: −$6.9M under water on $167M still owed over 4 years.

Apron exposure
Tracked booksLowMajority of tracked salary sits below the apron — no penalty multiplier, $101M of clean cap.
Next Decision

Build around Tidjane Salaun

With −$1.5M of surplus from Tidjane Salaun and −$19.1M team-wide, the live question is how to convert flexibility into a second star while the surplus window is open.

Warning

Strategic warning

Biggest tail risk is stagnation — a C-grade profile that doesn't add a difference-maker while the surplus holds.

Charlotte Hornets · Cap Sheet6 contracts tracked

This is BOW’s curated slice of Charlotte Hornets’s books, not the full roster — totals below cover only the 6 tracked contracts shown here.

Tracked cap committed$101M
Production value$82.1M
True cost$101M
Total AASV−$19.1M
Tracked cap hits
Model Assumptions

AASV = wins × $/win − cap hit × apron multiplier. Set the knobs to your own front-office judgment — every number on this page updates live.

$3.5M
What one marginal win costs on the open market.
1.50×
How much a first-apron team's dollar really costs (tax bill, shrinking roster tools).
2.00×
The punitive tier — frozen picks, no salary aggregation, repeater tax.
Best valuePaying a premium
Tidjane Salaun

$5.8M cap hit

−$1.5M AASV

Biggest holePaying a premium
LaMelo Ball

$38.0M cap hit

−$6.9M AASV

PlayerCap hitAASVVerdict
LaMelo Ball$38.0M−$6.9MPaying a premium
Miles Bridges$23.3M−$3.8MPaying a premium
Grant Williams$13.3M−$2.8MPaying a premium
Brandon Miller$11.6M−$2.5MPaying a premium
Kon Knueppel$9.2M−$1.5MPaying a premium
Tidjane Salaun$5.8M−$1.5MPaying a premium