Charlotte is leaning hard into a new look, and the latest move makes that crystal clear.
After the surprise deal that sent LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week, the Hornets kept reshaping the roster by moving Miles Bridges for Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen. Charlotte also worked in a draft-capital swap, sending out its least favorable first among CHA/UTA/CLE/MIN in 2029 and getting Phoenix’s unprotected 2033 first back.
Taken together, the two trades point to a major shift in direction for the Hornets. The template looks a lot like what Atlanta embraced last season: pace, space, and a roster built to fly up and down the floor.
There’s no missing the scale of the reset in Charlotte. The move off LaMelo after the 2026 NBA Draft was a stunner, and without him the team’s identity changes completely. Still, the Hornets are already assembling something new, and the pieces they’ve added suggest an offensive identity built around shooting.
That’s especially true after landing Naz Reid for LaMelo and then adding O’Neale and Allen for Bridges. On paper, Charlotte is moving toward becoming one of the league’s most dangerous three-point shooting teams.
The one thing still missing is the engine.
The Hornets do not yet have the kind of initiator that makes the whole thing hum. If they were to land a De’Aaron Fox or a Ja Morant, or even bring in Russell Westbrook in free agency, the picture would come into focus fast. Until then, the concept is clear even if the final piece isn’t there yet.
Atlanta already showed what this kind of structure can do.
Last season, the Hawks finished first in assists, third in fastbreak points, fifth in 3P%, and sixth in 3PA across the league. Their speed and spacing pulled defenses apart, and their “death lineup” helped push them to the sixth seed by April.
Now they’re adding to that formula. With Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor in the 2026 NBA Draft, Atlanta doubled down on the same style. Flemings brings perimeter creation with his tight handle and quickness, while Ejiofor projects as a switchable five who can handle different looks from opponents.
Quin Snyder’s pace-and-space offense doesn’t appear to be going anywhere heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season. And if the Hawks keep rolling the way they did late last year, don’t be surprised if more teams follow Charlotte’s lead and copy the same blueprint.
In Other News...
Hawks Could Be Sitting On Another Massive 2027 Draft Opportunity
The 2027 NBA Draft is starting to look like one of those classes worth tracking well before the lottery machine starts spinning, with names such as Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, Miikka Muurinen and Dash Daniels already drawing attention. For Atlanta, the appeal is less about one prospect in particular and more about the chance to be in position when that class finally arrives, thanks to the draft capital it has accumulated in recent trades.
One of the cleaner paths to a premium selection could come from Milwaukee, where the fallout from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is expected to reshape the teams outlook and leave the Bucks vulnerable to missing the playoffs. Atlanta also has reason to keep an eye on New Orleans, where injury questions around the Zion era and uncertainty involving Trey Murphy and Herb Jones could complicate another season. The Hawks are set up to benefit from both situations, and the asset they gained in the Dejounte Murray for Dyson Daniels deal could end up mattering a lot more than it did on draft night. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Want Jock Landale Back But One Problem Just Got Bigger
The Hawks entered free agency with a thin picture at center, and Jock Landale quickly became one of the more practical names on their board. Atlanta had little behind Onyeka Okongwu beyond several rookies, which made Landales steady stint after arriving at the trade deadline stand out even more. He gave the team a useful frontcourt option in a spot that could use one.
Now the challenge is less about whether Atlanta likes Landale and more about how far the team is willing to go to keep him. He is an unrestricted free agent with interest beyond the Hawks, and other teams are expected to chase him as well, which puts pressure on Atlanta to decide both what kind of deal makes sense and what his role would look like if he comes back. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Trade Cost Puts Hawks Fans Right Back In Debate
The latest round of Jaylen Brown chatter has quickly turned into a familiar kind of Hawks debate: whether Atlanta should swing big for a proven star or keep taking the slower path. Bostons asking price is steep enough to put real distance between the sides, and for a Hawks team still shaping its identity, the conversation matters less as a rumor and more as a test of direction. Atlanta has been working to improve the roster, but the front office has made clear enough in recent months that it prefers a patient build around younger pieces rather than an all-in gamble.
Jalen Johnson sits near the center of that thinking, which helps explain why Brown, for all his appeal, does not look like the type of target Atlanta is rushing toward. The Hawks are still exploring ways to get better, but this kind of deal would require more than just ambition, and the cost in both assets and flexibility is part of what makes the idea hard to sustain. For now, the intrigue is in the same old question for Hawks fans: chase the star, or keep trusting the gradual climb? [Read more 🡒]