A premium lottery pick is likely on tap for the Hornets. Who could be on their radar?

The countdown is on.

With a mere six games left in their injury-ravaged regular season, the Charlotte Hornets can’t completely cast their attention to an important offseason just yet. But it’s rapidly approaching and they may have the opportunity to add a significant piece to their young core when the NBA Draft rolls around in June.

Barring a significant turn of events — like a sizzling winning streak by Detroit, Houston or San Antonio paired with a Hornets’ losing skid — it’s almost a given Charlotte won’t finish among the NBA’s bottom three teams record-wise. That would decrease the Hornets’ chances of winning the lottery in May by at least 1.5%. The three teams with the fewest number of victories have a 14% chance of capturing the No. 1 overall selection.

Either way, the Hornets are staring at the prospect of adding another building block to the puzzle they are hoping to assemble around star LaMelo Ball. With that in mind, here are five players to keep an eye on as the draft creeps closer to starting in New York on June 22 at the Barclays Center:

Victor Wembanyama, C, 7-4, Metropolitans 92 (France)

LeBron James dubbed him “a generational talent.” The NBA put his team’s games on its app, allowing fans to watch for free. He’s 7-4 and has the unicorn-like ability to dribble with precision, shoot effectively from 3-point range, terrorize the opposition inside with his height and clean the glass with relative ease.

Other than that, there’s not much to Victor Wembanyama.

Oh, maybe we can squeeze in one more thing: The French phenom possesses an 8-foot wingspan.

About the only drawback — if it even is one — is he’s rail thin and needs to put on more weight to fill out his frame. Until then, some of the bigger and craftier veterans he will go up against in the NBA could push him around a bit.

But as long as Wembanyama is equipped with the right strength and conditioning coach and embraces the regimen personalized for him, any concerns about his body mass should quell as he gets older and transitions to becoming a pro in the United States.

Scoot Henderson, PG, 6-2, G League Ignite

When you are widely viewed as the person who likely would be atop most draft boards if it wasn’t for Wembanyama, that can’t be a bad thing. And it should also underscore what people think about the 19-year-old Marietta, Georgia, native.

As does this: Scoot Henderson participated in the NBA’s All-Star weekend for the second straight year last month. He’s not even in the league yet. Putting up 18.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for the G League Ignite this season displayed Henderson has the capability to be an all-around player at the next level. The G League Ignite is a team designed to help players who didn’t attend college, but also aren’t yet draft eligible.

Judging by the expectations he’s already created and the bar he’s quickly set for himself, some team will be quite pleased to have settled for the ‘consolation prize’ of not securing the No. 1 selection.

Brandon Miller, SF, 6-9, Alabama

When the Hornets traded Jalen McDaniels to Philadelphia last month, GM Mitch Kupchak mentioned the hypothetical possibility of the team selecting the best wing player in the draft depending on where it landed in the lottery.

The distinction of being the best small forward overall appears to rest on Brandon Miller’s shoulders.

Averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, Alabama’s Miller was the Southeastern Conference’s player of the year, making him the first freshman to accomplish the feat since 2012 when Anthony Davis did it for Kentucky.

Size and his range from deep have many of the scouts salivating at his skillset. He is said to have a quick release and that combined with his stature allows him to get off his shot without any issues, and that should translate over to the NBA.

One draft site compares Miller to Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Amen Thompson, SG/PG, 6-7, Overtime Elite

Considered a top-five prospect, Amen Thompson showcased his skills in the Overtime Elite Finals earlier this month, pouring in 17 points with nine assists and six rebounds for the Grim Reapers in their title game win.

He’s a stat sheet stuffer, averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 3.1 steals and a block per game. But his jump shot apparently needs some work and it was on display for everyone to see in the Overtime Elite finals when he made 30% of his 20 attempts from 3-point range.

During his first season with Overtime Elite in 2021-22, he registered double figures in scoring in all but eight of the team’s 30 and posted at least 20 points in four outings. Defense is one of his strengths, as evidenced by him swatting a shot in 25 games and collecting a steal or more in 22 games.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, before moving to Florida to play varsity basketball as an eighth-grader. He attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, guiding the program to a state championship while being named co-player of the year along with his brother Ausar.

Ausar Thompson, SG/SF, 6-7, Overtime Elite

Although he might be slightly more of a project than his twin brother Amen, Ausar Thompson possesses some freakish, bouncy athleticism that leaves him oozing with potential.

Similar to Amen, his shot from long distance is not his strength, but he did hit the game winning jumper with three seconds remaining to seal the victory and the 3-0 series sweep for the Grim Reapers in the Overtime Elite finals.

Thompson has collected his share of hardware with the Grim Reapers, grabbing the league’s first two finals MVP awards on top of its first regular season MVP honors.