A surprise free agent signing, Al Jefferson came with a large paycheck and large expectations, and while Charlotte has not become a power in the East, Jefferson has certainly done his part to make the team as competitive as he could. In his first season with Charlotte, he would average a double-double and would make Third Team All-NBA.

Eddie Jones was already a certified star from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he went to two All-Star Games, however as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Jones would make his third All-Star appearance and put up his best scoring numbers as well as his best performance in PER.

The fifth overall ick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Raymond Felton was the Point Guard for the North Carolina Tar Heel team that won the NCAA title just before his draft. Felton was not a champion in Charlotte, but Felton was a solid scorer and distributor in the pros.

Vlade Divac was one of the more popular players in the NBA, but for many in Charlotte, this is the guy who was traded for the rights to Kobe Bryant. History now shows that trade being a little lopsided (though let’s be honest, do you really see Kobe playing his entire career in Charlotte?) but history also shows that Divac was a very good player who put up good numbers in every metric.