Josh Green’s NBA Journey Hits a Crossroads as Hornets Prioritize Youth Movement
When the Dallas Mavericks included Josh Green in the 2024 sign-and-trade that brought Klay Thompson to town, there were more than a few eyebrows raised. Green had shown flashes of becoming a reliable 3-and-D contributor - the kind of player every contending team needs. But now, less than two years later, Green’s role with the Charlotte Hornets has all but evaporated, and his future in the league is murkier than ever.
Green’s time in Dallas was a slow burn. He was never a focal point of the offense, but in his third season, he started to turn heads.
Averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting just over 40% from beyond the arc, he looked like a player who could carve out a long-term role as a versatile wing defender and capable spot-up shooter. That year, he posted a career-high 29 points in a game and had ten 20-point outings as a Maverick - not eye-popping, but enough to suggest real potential.
But potential doesn’t always translate to staying power in the NBA.
Now in his second season with Charlotte, Green’s minutes have dwindled to just under 16 per game, and he’s averaging a little over four points per contest. He hasn’t started a single game this season - a stark contrast to the 129 starts he logged over his first five years in the league. The Hornets are leaning heavily into a youth movement, and Green is quickly finding himself on the outside looking in.
That’s not entirely a knock on Green. Charlotte’s young core is starting to click.
Rookie Kon Knueppel has burst onto the scene, making an immediate impact and staking his claim as one of the top first-year players in the league - trailing only Cooper Flagg in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Brandon Miller continues to solidify his status as a foundational piece, and Sion James has emerged as a steady contributor, logging over 25 minutes a night and chipping in more than six points per game.
In this kind of environment, minutes are hard to come by - especially for a player like Green, who hasn’t found consistent rhythm or confidence since arriving in Charlotte. His struggles began early in his Hornets tenure and haven’t let up, making it increasingly difficult to envision a long-term fit.
The reality is, Charlotte has a clear direction under head coach Charles Lee. The Hornets are still near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but they’ve shown real signs of life, with recent wins over the Lakers, Thunder, and Nuggets.
That’s not just a fluke - it’s a sign that this young group is starting to figure things out. And right now, Green isn’t part of that equation.
It’s a tough break for a player who once looked like a key piece of Dallas’s future. After their 2024 Finals loss to the Celtics, the Mavs needed to retool, and Green was one of the casualties.
Quentin Grimes came in as his unofficial replacement and brought a more aggressive offensive mindset and a higher defensive motor - the kind of edge Dallas was looking for. But even Grimes didn’t stick around long, eventually being dealt to Philadelphia in a move that followed the blockbuster trade sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
Fast forward to now, and neither Green nor Grimes is on the Mavericks’ roster. For Green, his current role - or lack thereof - in Charlotte raises serious questions about what comes next.
He’s still just 25, with the physical tools and skill set to be a contributor in the right system. But time and opportunity are running thin.
The Hornets, for their part, are building something promising. They’ve got a young core that’s starting to gel, a coach with a clear vision, and a fan base that’s beginning to believe again. Unfortunately for Josh Green, it looks like that future won’t include him.
Whether it’s via trade or free agency, a change of scenery could be on the horizon. But wherever he lands next, Green will need to rediscover the confidence and consistency that once made him a rising role player in Dallas. Because in today’s NBA, the margin between rotation regular and forgotten bench piece is razor-thin - and right now, Green is teetering on the edge.