The Charlotte Hornets don’t have to rush into anything with the $40.6 million traded player exception they’re set to receive once the LaMelo Ball trade is processed by the league.
If the deal is finalized on July 6, Charlotte gets a full calendar year to use that exception. In other words, Jeff Peterson and company can sit on it, wait until the trade deadline, or carry it all the way until the league calendar turns to 2027-28. But if the Hornets decide to spend it this summer, the clearest lane is in the backcourt, where a veteran guard could help take some of the load off rookie sharpshooter Christian Anderson Jr.
One option is Immanuel Quickley, though that comes with a big financial headache. He’s owed $32.5 million per year for the next three seasons, and that contract has made it tough for Toronto to build around Scottie Barnes.
Quickley’s production doesn’t match the price tag, but there’s still a case for his game in a different setting. He can light it up from deep, attack the rim with a lightning-quick first step, and handle enough playmaking to keep turnovers down.
He’s also a high-volume pull-up three-point shooter, the kind of shot-maker who could help replace some of the gravity that disappeared when Ball was dealt to Minnesota.
The problem for Charlotte is the length of the deal. Toronto would have to send real value back if it absorbed the $97.5 million still owed over the next three years, and a protected first-round pick would make sense as part of the return.
But given how much the Hornets have prized financial flexibility, this feels like a stretch. If Quickley were down to just two years left and could line up with Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen as an expiring piece next summer, that would be a different story.
Dejounte Murray is a much cleaner fit, and one of the more appealing names on the board. After nearly 18 months rehabbing an Achillies injury, Murray looked solid in a handful of games with New Orleans down the stretch of the 2026 season. He’d bring something Charlotte’s perimeter-heavy, defense-challenged backcourt needs badly: rim pressure and defensive event creation.
He isn’t a major threat from three, but his size and style would let him work alongside any guard already on the roster. If Charlotte were serious about pushing for the playoffs next year, Murray would be the kind of addition that makes sense. His contract also works better for the Hornets, since it has only two years left and would become especially valuable in the summer of 2027 when it turns into an expiring deal.
Fred VanVleet gives Charlotte another route, and this one could get interesting fast. There’s a version of a deal where the Hornets pursue Tari Eason in a sign-and-trade alongside the veteran point guard, with Houston possibly having interest in Grayson Allen or Royce O'Neale as floor-spacing bench pieces.
That kind of move would likely require Charlotte to attach draft capital, but Eason would bring exactly what this roster could use: defense. At 25, he fits the mold of a three-and-D wing, with the emphasis very much on the D.
Even if that exact setup doesn’t happen, VanVleet still makes sense as a steady veteran presence. He’s an NBA champion with Toronto, and he’s the sort of guard young teams lean on to set a tone.
In his prime, he was an undersized three-point threat who took care of the ball and made life difficult defensively through relentless effort. For a young guard like Christian Anderson Jr., it’s not hard to see the appeal.
VanVleet is in the final year of a contract that pays him $25 million this season, which makes him the lowest-risk name of the group. Charlotte could play him early, ease Anderson in, and then gradually reduce VanVleet’s role as the rookie gets used to the pace and size of the NBA.
In Other News...
Hornets Rookies Chose Their Numbers And Charlotte Fans Will Remember Them
Jersey numbers may seem like a small detail in June, but around the Hornets they have a way of sticking. LaMelo Ball turned his own switch from No. 2 to No. 1 into part of his Charlotte identity, and now the teams newest first-rounders have picked the digits theyll carry into training camp. Hannes Steinbach will wear No. 22, while Christian Anderson goes with No. 5, giving both rookies an early place in the franchises uniform history.
The numbers matter a little more here because both players arrive with defined jobs already waiting for them. Steinbach is expected to be in the rotation right away and could grow into a starter if his defense comes along, while Anderson is positioned as a backup point guard behind Coby White. For a Hornets team trying to sort out its next core, even the jersey choices feel like part of the larger picture, with the real question still being how quickly those numbers start meaning something on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Face A Franchise Defining All In Decision
Charlottes front office has spent the past year quietly changing the shape of its future, using the LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges trades to gather the kind of flexibility and draft capital that can be turned into a much bigger swing. Thats why the latest chatter around Jaylen Brown matters so much. A move of that size would not just be about adding another scorer, but about deciding whether the Hornets are ready to spend their new assets on a player who can alter the trajectory of the franchise.
The appeal is obvious, and so are the complications. Brown would force Charlotte to weigh fit, finances and the cost of parting with more pieces, including veterans and picks that have become part of the teams growing trade inventory. For a roster still trying to define its next identity, the question is less whether Brown is the kind of name that can change the conversation and more whether this is the moment to push in and make that kind of bet. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Summer That Could Define Jeff Petersons Plan
Jeff Petersons first summer steering the Hornets has quickly become a test of how patient and how bold this new front-office era will be. After the LaMelo Ball trade reshaped the roster, Charlotte has more flexibility than it has had in a while, including a $40 million trade exception, and Peterson said the team intends to keep looking at every path while staying disciplined with its assets. The challenge now is not just to make moves, but to make the right ones for both the short term and the long term.
Charlotte has already spent part of the offseason strengthening the frontcourt, which changes the shape of the next problem on the board. The Hornets are now evaluating guard help, with an eye toward adding more ballhandling and shooting to fit around what is already in place. Petersons approach suggests the front office is willing to be selective, but the summer still feels like the moment that will show how aggressive this reset really is. [Read more 🡒]