The Hornets are still searching for a fix, and the latest round of trade chatter spans the full spectrum - from Kyrie Irving and Domantas Sabonis down to lower-cost guard options that might simply steady the offense.
Charlotte’s recent win over the Cavs at least brought a few shots to the bottom of the net. But the bigger issue remains unchanged: this team needs an offense that can function without living and dying by 23 made threes.
That’s the backdrop for Fran Leiva of Fadeaway World laying out five possible targets for the Hornets. The list includes Sabonis, Irving, Fred VanVleet, Ryan Rollins and Collin Gillespie. These are proposed fits, not a report that Charlotte is actively shopping for any of them.
The appeal is obvious. The Hornets have had a hard time replacing LaMelo Ball’s playmaking, and the injuries to Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel have only made the job tougher.
Sabonis would give Charlotte a different kind of engine. Instead of relying on perimeter creation, he could run offense from the elbows and open lanes for cutters.
But the price tag Leiva attached to that idea is steep: Naz Reid, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaun and a protected first-round pick. That’s a major commitment, especially when it also means giving up frontcourt shooting.
Irving is the flashiest name on the board, and for good reason. He’d bring exactly the scoring and shot creation Charlotte is missing.
The problem is the other side of the equation: why would the Mavericks move him while trying to build around Cooper Flagg? A player looking good in another team’s uniform doesn’t make him available.
VanVleet fits a similar mold. He would bring experience and ball security, both valuable traits for a Hornets team trying to get organized. But the Rockets also have reasons to hold onto those same qualities.
That leaves Rollins and Gillespie as the more modest options. Rollins would be the younger swing, someone with room to develop. Gillespie offers shooting and a willingness to play without soaking up possessions, which could fit neatly alongside Charlotte’s wings.
Even the smaller ideas come with real costs. In Leiva’s Gillespie scenario, the Hornets would send out both Salaun and Liam McNeeley, along with a second-round pick. That’s not a throwaway move when two young forwards are involved.
So the Hornets are left with the same basic tension: they have a reason to look for help, but they also have a reason to wait, get healthier and figure out what this roster actually needs before spending assets.
In Other News...
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The trade sent Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid, multiple future draft picks and a trade exception, but the bigger question is how all of it looks once the season settles in. Charlottes 4-7 record has only sharpened the debate around whether the front office got enough back, and the unresolved piece around Reid keeps the discussion from feeling anywhere close to finished. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Still Has Face Of The Hornets Pressure To Prove It
Brandon Miller arrived in Charlotte as the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he has already shown why the Hornets were so eager to bet on his scoring. The next step is less about flashes and more about consistency, because Charlotte needs him to become a steadier presence on both ends while continuing to grow into a more complete player.
The Hornets have also been asking for more than shot-making, with Miller expected to sharpen his playmaking as the young roster keeps taking shape around him. Health has been part of the conversation, too, and that only adds to the pressure on a player the franchise wants to see on the floor and carrying more of the load as his role continues to expand. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Return To Phoenix With More At Stake Than Usual
Phoenixs injury report looks far cleaner than Charlottes heading into the next meeting, and that matters for a Hornets team trying to navigate a tricky stretch with bodies still coming and going. Mark Williams is the only Suns player listed out, while Jordan Goodwin has already made his return from injury and was a meaningful factor in the previous game, giving Phoenix a little more stability as the matchup approaches.
Charlotte, meanwhile, arrives with multiple players tagged out or probable, which only adds to the challenge of keeping pace on the road. The game also brings a little extra edge because Grayson Allen and Royce ONeale are set to see Phoenix for the first time since landing in Charlotte, a reminder that this one carries more than the usual regular-season feel for a Hornets group still sorting through its own health concerns. [Read more 🡒]