Former Duke standout Grayson Allen is on the move again, and this time the trade sends him back to North Carolina.
On Sunday, the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns swapped a package that sent Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick to Charlotte. Phoenix got Miles Bridges, along with a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
Allen is now set for his fifth NBA team as he heads into his ninth season. His career path has taken him from Utah to Memphis, then to Milwaukee, and then to Phoenix before this latest stop with the Hornets.
He spent one season with the Jazz, two with the Grizzlies, two with the Bucks and three in Phoenix. Now he lands with a Charlotte team that has already been active in reshaping its roster, including a trade earlier in the week that sent LaMelo Ball out in exchange for assets from Minnesota.
Last season, Allen gave the Suns steady scoring before an early injury interrupted his year. He averaged 16.5 points, 3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three. He played in 51 games overall.
For the Hornets, the appeal is clear. Allen gives them another wing option alongside Coby White and Brandon Miller, and he brings a proven veteran presence to a roster trying to improve after reaching the NBA Play-In Tournament. If his three-point shot rebounds, Charlotte could get real value from the deal.
Across eight NBA seasons, Allen has averaged 11.2 points, 3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
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