The Charlotte Hornets finally seem to be turning the corner. After years of being stuck in mediocrity, the franchise used the 2025 offseason to inject new life into the team. With a mix of promising rookies like Kon Knueppel, veteran signings such as Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee, and rising stars in LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges, Charlotte now looks like a team that can climb the Eastern Conference ladder.
But if you open up NBA 2K26, you wouldn’t think the Hornets were headed in the right direction at all. The latest player ratings for the Hornets don’t just underrate their stars; they also overvalue a few players in ways that don’t make sense.
For a team that has made strong, clear roster moves, these Hornets 2K26 ratings are flat-out wrong. Here are five players who are either massively overrated or criminally underrated in 2K26.
LaMelo Ball: Is still too low at 87 OVR
Let’s start with the face of the franchise: LaMelo Ball. He’s coming off another strong season as the Hornets’ engine, averaging over 25 points and seven assists per game. When healthy, he’s among the best playmaking guards in the NBA: a tall, versatile shot creator who can score at all three levels.
right on dime for nba assist week 🪙 pic.twitter.com/Bxrf1GpINd
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 20, 2025
And yet, NBA 2K26 still has him sitting at 87 OVR. That number doesn’t reflect his true impact. Guards like Trae Young, Darius Garland, and De’Aaron Fox are consistently rated in the high-80s to low-90s range, but LaMelo’s production and influence on Charlotte’s offense are easily on par with, if not superior to, theirs.
The disrespect gets worse when you dig into his 75 dunk rating. While LaMelo isn’t exactly Ja Morant when it comes to dunking, he’s clearly more athletic than a “75” suggests. He’s thrown down transition slams and can finish above the rim when needed. This rating feels like 2K developers are stuck on old narratives rather than the current reality.
Brandon Miller: Deserves more love at 82 OVR
Brandon Miller had a strong second season and showed flashes of being Charlotte’s next great scorer. By the end of the year, he was consistently dropping 21-point games, attacking closeouts, and even showcasing some clutch shot-making.
His current 82 OVR in 2K26 is decent, but it doesn’t truly reflect his rise. Players like Miller, versatile wings who can score from deep (79 3PT) and attack the rim (87 dunk), are highly coveted in today’s NBA. If you look around the league, other second-year players who showed less than Miller are rated similarly or higher.
The 2K developers clearly didn’t factor in his defensive improvement or his consistency in big moments. With the Hornets now building around LaMelo and Miller as their 1-2 punch, Miller should easily be in the mid-80s.
Collin Sexton: Is overrated at 81 OVR
Here’s where things swing the other way. Collin Sexton, acquired in a trade, brings toughness and scoring to the Hornets. He’s an efficient guard who can heat up quickly. But his 81 OVR feels inflated.
Why? Sexton has yet to prove he can be a consistent high-level starter on a winning team. His stats often look better than his actual impact, and defensively, he’s still shaky. Putting him at the same overall rating as Miles Bridges (81 OVR) and just one point below Brandon Miller (82 OVR) is absurd. Sexton is valuable, but he should be in the mid-to-high 70s, not grouped with Charlotte’s core stars.
Grant Williams: Shouldn’t be stuck at 76 OVR
Role players often get the short end of the stick in 2K, and Grant Williams is no exception. Slotted at 76 OVR, his rating ignores his defensive versatility, floor spacing, and playoff experience.
Williams has proven he can guard multiple positions, hit big shots in clutch moments, and contribute to winning teams (remember his Celtics playoff run). With Charlotte, his role as a veteran stretch-four is critical. A 76 rating makes him look like just another bench player, but he’s far more valuable than that, especially when compared to someone like Mason Plumlee, who’s rated the same.
Kon Knueppel: Deserves respect as the No. 4 Pick at 75 OVR
The most glaring slight goes to Knueppel, Charlotte’s No. 4 overall pick. After a sensational Summer League where he led the Hornets to a title, he came into NBA 2K26 with a 75 OVR and no badges.
!!!@Kon2Knueppel | #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/MSo99YRxSF
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) July 21, 2025
That’s insulting. Top-five picks usually start in the upper 70s, especially when they show immediate promise. Knueppel is already a polished scorer with a versatile offensive game, and he showed leadership qualities in Vegas. While rookies don’t always translate right away, Knueppel’s skill set should warrant at least a 77-78 OVR starting point.
2K still doesn’t believe in the Hornets
Overall, the Charlotte Hornets’ 2K26 ratings don’t align with their real trajectory. LaMelo Ball continues to be underrated, Brandon Miller isn’t getting enough respect, and rookies like Kon Knueppel are being treated like afterthoughts. Meanwhile, Collin Sexton somehow sneaks into the same tier as Charlotte’s core players, which doesn’t add up.
If the Hornets make noise in the 2025-26 season, and with this revamped roster, they very well could, expect these ratings to shift upward quickly. Until then, though, it’s clear that NBA 2K26 hasn’t caught up to the new-look Hornets.
