Three Charlotte Hornets that tanked their trade value this season

Cody Martin

At the end of the 2021-22 year, Cody Martin was coming off his best season in the NBA. His 38.4% shooting from behind the arc showed a real glimpse into why Martin had been re-signed by the Charlotte Hornets that previous off-season to a four-year $32 million deal. The 6’5 wingman not only had career-highs in points (7.7), rebounds (2.9), and assists (2.5), but he had his career-high scoring (21 points).

The scoring and offensive spike was important because his ability to defend has never been in question. Despite his role as a reserve player, the five best 5-man lineups in terms of point differential featured Martin. His ability to defend much larger players gave the Hornets lots of flexibility with who could play around him.

This season Martin played in only seven games due to injury. Martin was on his way to being considered a “3 &D” player. Someone capable of shooting the ball well and giving stars around them spacing, as well as defending multiple positions and allowing the team to switch on that side of the court.

Martin, on an extremely team-friendly deal, could have garnered value as a trade asset for a team that was obviously building for the future. He was a second-round pick in the 2019 draft. He represents the franchise’s ability to find obscure talent and cultivate it, a good barometer for the health of any NBA franchise. And fans saw another former second-round, 3 & D player garner attention and value as a trade asset—one who now plays on a title-contending team.

With a healthy 2023-24 season (and plenty of years left on his relatively inexpensive contract), Martin could provide value in the trade market, particularly if the Hornets are overwhelmed with wing depth.