By January 18, 2024
For the second straight year, Hornets fans are faced with an unfortunate reality feared by all NBA fans. Only halfway through the season, we’re in the throes of another lost season.
Still enduring a spell of injuries worse than any team besides the Memphis Grizzlies, the Charlotte Hornets might still have a mathematical chance to make the postseason. But, it feels like every person in relation to the franchise– front office, coaches, players, fans, and media– have resigned to the fate of the lottery once again.
Naturally, the discourse surrounding the team shifts towards the future– trade deadline transactions, the draft, free agency, and everything that comes with the organized chaos that is the NBA offseason. First things first, though. With just under three weeks until the trade deadline, the Hornets are in prime position to sell.
There’s an argument to be made that Terry Rozier is the most appealing asset among non All-Stars available at the deadline. In the midst of a true offensive explosion in his age-30 season, the nine-year vet is averaging career-highs in points (24.0 per game) and assists (6.7 per game), shooting a career-best 46.1% from the field and reverting back to high-volume efficiency from beyond the arc after a down year in 2022-23. On top of that, he’s the primary point-of-attack defender and often matches up with the opponent’s best ball-handler. Rozier has proven he can produce efficiently as a lead option offensively while maintaining two-way impact. Any competitive team can use a guard like that in its rotation.
Even beyond Rozier, the expiring contract of Gordon Hayward (who could be headed for the buyout market if no trade is completed) and the team-friendly deals of PJ Washington, Nick Richards and Cody Martin could all be appealing to the right team.
There’s one caveat; Miles Bridges would be the second-most valuable trade asset with an expiring $7.9 million contract, if not for a pending legal situation that arose while he served his suspension earlier in the season. Any team acquiring him also does not receive his Bird Rights, and he has a full no-trade clause after accepting the qualifying offer last summer. Bridges’ next court date is February 20, after the deadline. If he’s traded, that signals the team dealing for him expects the most recent legal situation won’t affect his availability going forward.
For the purposes of this article, Bridges will not be considered as a trade option. Apart from LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, everyone else is on the table.
Hayward and Richards find new homes for the postseason push
We’re coming from the top rope with a three-team trade to start things off. The Kings could use an upgrade to beef up its rotation for the playoffs, and here they swap out two regulars in Harrison Barnes and Sasha Vezenkov, plus a fringe rotation player in Davion Mitchell for the veteran Hayward. Hayward is more productive than Barnes at this stage even if slightly less efficient, and he’s a more versatile defender on an expiring deal, giving Sacramento added flexibility this summer. Charlotte gets a flier in Mitchell, a hard-nosed defender, and an experienced floor-spacer in Vezenkov, plus a highly efficient rim finisher and rim protector at backup center with Luke Kornet. Boston lost a lob threat and vertical interior presence in Robert Williams III, but gains one in this scenario with Nick Richards. The second-round picks being swapped around are just to sweeten the pot.
Indiana bolsters its frontcourt depth and solves a long-standing issue for Charlotte
Folks, we’ve got a backup point guard.
TJ McConnell has long been a valued locker room presence in the league, willing to fit into whatever role necessary to benefit the team while offering toughness and physicality. But the 31-year-old does have limitations– he doesn’t shoot threes at all, much less efficiently, and is only 6’1”. Still, he’d go from outside the rotation on a fully healthy Pacers squad to full-time backup duties in Charlotte.
For Indiana, there has to be some appeal in turning an expiring Obi Toppin contract into a declining three-year deal for PJ Washington. A lateral move at worst and possibly an upgrade if Washington finds his shot with a new team. No picks necessary here, this one seems fair for both sides straight-up.
Hornets move Rozier and clear the books
There’s a specific line of thinking that makes this trade appealing; if the 76ers don’t make a serious run at the Finals this year or next, there’s a likelihood that the core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris are split up to some degree. In turn, that 2026 first-rounder becomes more valuable, especially if Philadelphia blows it up before then. The risk might be worth it for the Sixers because swapping Rozier for Morris and two players outside the rotation seriously bolsters its title chances for the next two seasons. If the Sixers are good, that pick is likely a late first-rounder, and if not, it could possibly be a lottery pick. That alone might be worth it, along with a young, athletic guard Jaden Springer in exchange for the expiring contract of James Bouknight.
Hayward goes back to where it all began
The only motivation for this trade from both sides: money.
Even though the Jazz acquired John Collins less than a year ago, the timeline of Utah’s rebuild doesn’t line up with a 26-year-old big making over $25 million per year. This deal swaps out the long-term salary of Collins and Kelly Olynyk’s expiring deal in exchange for Hayward’s expiring deal and JT Thor, who is out of the rotation whenever Charlotte becomes fully healthy. The 2025 first-rounder via Minnesota is likely to be in the mid-20s, but the Hornets can use all the assets they can get. If any team offers a first or multiple seconds for Hayward at the deadline, even if it means giving up a 2026 second-rounder, Mitch Kupchak should jump all over it.
Rozier lands in New York– four years later
Remember years ago, when it was rumored that the Knicks wanted to trade Julius Randle, Dennis Smith Jr. and a first-round pick for Terry Rozier and Malik Monk?
New York needs guard depth after trading Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby. Rozier has proven fully capable of initiating offense this year and would add needed firepower for the Knicks. In this deal, the Knicks also trade an injured Mitchell Robinson in order to establish a clear hierarchy at center with Isaiah Hartenstein starting and Richards backing him up. There’s also the fact that Cody Martin is the epitome of a Tom Thibodeau player even if his value is low coming off a knee injury. The Hornets add a physical center in Robinson, a quality young player Quentin Grimes (who’s on the market), plus a good end-of-bench personality in Ryan Arcidiacono, and what’s likely a late first-round pick in next year’s draft.
The NBA rumor mill is picking up steam by the day. Hopefully, for the sake of Hornets fans suffering through another lost season, some of those rumors spell hope for the future.
Check out the remaining 2023-24 Charlotte Hornets schedule.
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