Much of the trade discussions nowadays have centered on the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, as their stars, Jimmy Butler and Bradley Beal, could have new homes in the following weeks. Other teams, such as the Charlotte Hornets, have flown under the radar.
An argument can be made that the Hornets need to be active in the trade market. With their season having gone south fast, shipping some of their veterans before the trade deadline or the coming offseason in exchange for assets that can help the franchise build for the future sounds like a good plan.
Team president Jeff Peterson hinted earlier this campaign that the front office is prepared to make trades if that meant ending up with a better roster. Hopefully, his sights are set on the organization's long-term direction.
Hornets who won't last all of 2025 in the Queen City
As early as now, the front office has to evaluate the roster and determine which players make little to no sense holding onto. It may be a bad sign that Charlotte has nearly a handful of must-trade candidates. However, a silver lining is that some of them likely have enough trade value now.
Vasilije Micic
Rarely have EuroLeague MVPs transitioned successfully to the NBA after having played many years across the Atlantic. Vasilije Micic couldn't make himself an exception, as he has been unable to make the most of the opportunity presented to him in Charlotte. The Serb has been one of the Hornets' worst rotation players this season and should be on his way out of the team as soon as possible.
If no other squad takes a flyer on him at the trade deadline, the Hornets must know better than to exercise his team option for the 2025-26 campaign.
Nick Richards
After being one of Charlotte's feel-good stories of the early part of this season, Nick Richards has fallen off a cliff. He has yet to regain his form after missing nearly a month due to a rib cartilage fracture. The Hornets' latest loss saw him lose minutes to Taj Gibson, and they may actually be better off not playing him.
The good news is that there is likely a market for Richards because some teams are looking for a big man. Charlotte might have to temper its expectations, though, about what it can get in return for the Jamaican center, who also happens to have a partially guaranteed contract for next season.
Cody Martin
Despite logging some productive nights for the Hornets this season, Cody Martin has worn out his welcome in the Queen City. It might be counter-intuitive for the organization to part ways with arguably its best wing defender. However, he has been too much of a vacuum on offense, especially since he can't space the floor or create his own shot.
It wouldn't be that hard to move Martin, as he has a team-friendly contract, and other franchises could be looking for a defensive-minded swingman.
Isaiah Wong
The Hornets brought in Isaiah Wong on a two-way contract after their backcourt depth took a major hit in early December. Fast forward to today, the guard has shown no clear-cut reason for the club to extend the partnership beyond this campaign.
Wong's defense certainly deserves commendation, and he has sometimes been a more reliable playmaker than Charlotte's 2024 second-round pick, KJ Simpson. However, the squad already has too many inefficient shooters on the roster.