Is a Hornets 2024 Lottery Pick a Lost Cause?

When the Hornets drafted Tidjane Salaun in the lottery last year, the idea was to take a big swing on a long-term project. He was one of the youngest players in the draft, full of raw tools, size, and the kind of defensive potential teams talk themselves into. After getting real NBA minutes as a rookie, the early numbers were rough, and fans naturally started to wonder if the pick was already slipping away. Salaun averaged 5.9 points on 33 percent shooting in year one, including just 28.3 percent from three, which clearly showed how far he still had to go. Even with flashes here and there, the consistency was not where it needed to be yet.

Year two has not changed that narrative much, at least on the surface. Through seven games this season, Salaun is averaging only 3.1 points in 11.9 minutes, and he has struggled to carve out any real role. The efficiency has bumped up slightly, but not enough to keep him in the rotation on a deeper roster. His recent reassignment to the Greensboro Swarm was not a punishment but a reality check about where he is in his development. The Hornets simply need him on the court, not sitting behind veterans.

Charlotte’s roster right now is stacked with wings and forwards who are ahead of Salaun in their development. Brandon Miller is obviously a franchise piece and plays heavy minutes. Kon Knueppel has exploded as a rookie, even breaking the NBA record for most threes through seven games. Liam McNeeley has not shown major flashes yet, but he has looked playable in certain situations and is clearly a more reliable shooter than Salaun at this stage. Add in guys like Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, and the emergence of Sion James, and there just are not many minutes left for Salaun.

It is also important to remember that development is not linear, especially for a 20-year-old who came into the league with only a small sample of high-level pro minutes. The Hornets still believe in his long-term upside because there are things you cannot teach, like a six-foot-ten frame with real mobility and a willingness to defend. Greensboro gives him room to make mistakes without costing the team games. The G League is full of players who turned slow starts into legitimate careers once they finally had time to catch up. Charlotte just wants Salaun to get reps and confidence instead of standing in the corner for five minutes a night.

Calling him a lost cause right now would be premature and honestly, unfair. The shooting mechanics are workable, the energy is good, and the outlines of a modern forward are still visible if you look past the numbers. A lot of international forwards who came in raw needed two or three full seasons before everything clicked. Salaun is building from the ground up, and he is trying to do it while playing behind one of the most crowded groups of forwards in the league. If anything, the Hornets' sending him to Greensboro shows commitment, not doubt.

In the end, the Hornets did not draft Salaun for what he would be in 2025. They drafted him for what they hope he can become in 2027 and beyond. This team is finally putting together a young core that makes sense, and they can afford to develop someone like Salaun slowly rather than rush him. It might take patience from fans, but long projects take time for a reason. The raw talent is still real, even if the production has not caught up yet. For now, the best thing is to let him grow without the pressure of forcing something before he is ready.