The Charlotte Hornets may have already done most of their heavy lifting.
That’s the read from respected NBA insider Jake Fischer, who said in a video for Bleacher Report that Charlotte could be largely finished making major roster moves for the moment, even after a stretch that included trading LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
“Charlotte has already been super active; trading LaMelo Ball, trading Miles Bridges... I don't know how much more you want from Charlotte,” he said. “I really think that the Hornets, with their flexibility under the tax and not exactly so many pieces nailed down in the furniture there... obviously, this is a Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller operation.
“I still think Charlotte's open to do some type of trade business, depending on what opportunities exist for them to be compensated,” he continued. “Like, if Houston's calling them about Dorian Finney-Smith, for example, I wouldn't be surprised. But I don't really have Charlotte as up to anything else at this juncture.”
That doesn’t mean the Hornets are shut down completely. Fischer’s point was that Charlotte could still poke around the market and consider a smaller deal if the price is right. But the sense is that anything dramatic is off the table for now.
For a fan base still processing the Ball and Bridges moves, that distinction matters. This looks less like a full teardown and more like a reset, even if the Ball trade still feels hard to square in the moment.
There’s also the bigger picture to consider when it comes to what comes next under Jeff Peterson. If he eventually uses the $40M TPE and makes another move for star talent, that story may not be written until later.
The 2028 free agent class is deeper, but not loaded with true superstar names. Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler are set to be unrestricted free agents, though the kind of “all-in” swing Charlotte would want is probably more likely to come through a trade than free agency.
And Peterson has the assets to do it. The Hornets have enough first-round picks to make a major move without emptying out the cupboard.
For now, though, the approach appears to be patience. Around the league, there just aren’t many players available who feel worth burning through that kind of draft capital.
So the Hornets may wait. That could mean holding steady until next season’s trade deadline, or pushing the button in the summer instead. Either way, Fischer’s reporting points to a team that’s not in a rush to force the next big move.
In Other News...
Hornets Finally Set Their Summer League Group And One Absence Stands Out
Charlotte has finally put its Summer League group on paper for the Vegas Classic, which starts July 9, and the roster gives an early look at how the Hornets want to sort out a few of their young pieces. Christian Anderson Jr. is listed as the teams point guard, Hannes Steinbach shows up as a forward/center, and Liam McNeeley is slotted strictly as a forward, small details that still help tell the story of how the club is viewing each player heading into the summer.
PJ Halls name is not on the roster, and that absence is the one that stands out most for a team trying to get a clean evaluation of its newest talent. The two-way player had been expected to be part of the group, so Charlotte will be moving forward without one more developmental body in the mix when the games begin in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans May Not Love What Charlotte Is Doing Next
The LaMelo Ball trade left Charlotte with a massive $40.7 million trade exception, giving the Hornets a rare bit of flexibility to absorb a player in a deal without having to send matching salary back. It is the kind of tool that can shape a roster-building plan for months, and for now the front office has time on its side, with the next real windows for action likely tied to the next trade deadline and the offseason after that.
Even so, the Hornets do not seem eager to force the issue. The market right now is thin, and the kind of players who would make sense are not always available within that exceptions range, which helps explain why Charlotte appears willing to wait and keep its options open. The exception can be held for roughly a year after the trade, so the real question is not whether the Hornets have a major asset to deploy, but when they will finally find the right deal to use it. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Just Got The LaMelo Ball News They Feared
The leagues latest trade wave has only made the East feel more crowded, and Charlottes long-term picture is suddenly a lot harder to read through that lens. Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Miami and Orlando have all been part of the shuffle, with some familiar stars changing uniforms and contenders reworking their cores, while the Hornets are left to sort out where they fit in the new order.
For a team still trying to build something lasting around LaMelo Ball, the broader fallout matters almost as much as any single move. Charlotte has been one of the leagues pesky upstarts at times, but with rivals getting stronger around the conference, the margin for error looks even smaller now as the franchise tries to keep its footing in a much less forgiving landscape. [Read more 🡒]