The Charlotte Hornets have been less than lackluster these last few seasons. They have only had one winning season over the previous nine, and the fans are voicing their concerns now more than ever. While it’s easy to acknowledge that injuries are a large part of the struggles over the last couple of seasons, the team is still a few pieces away from being a solidified playoff team.
With a new ownership group and front office recently taking over in the Queen City, it makes sense that the Hornets didn’t make moves immediately. But after a season to evaluate talent, it may be time for them to make winning moves.
The Hornets have nine first-round picks over the next five drafts, including the Dallas Mavericks’ 2027 first-round pick that we have discussed could be extremely valuable with their current timeline, as well as forward Miles Bridges on a descending contract that is very tradable and second-year guard Nick Smith Jr., who has upside but has only shown flashes in Charlotte.
A handful of All-Stars have been rumored to be traded or could be on the move this offseason. I have chosen four of them that could make sense with the Hornets’ timeline and roster.
Kevin Durant
While Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily fit the Hornets’ timeline like the other three guys on this list, he is the one who is almost certainly on the move based on many reports, including one from Brian Windhorst, who said the Phoenix Suns and Durant are "contemplating a future apart."
Durant is also arguably a top 10 player in NBA history and still is an elite scorer. He also could serve as a great mentor to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Miller could especially learn from Durant as they play similar styles offensively. The future Hall of Famer is listed at 6-10, but it’s the worst-kept secret in the world that he is over 7-0. He also is averaging 26.9 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
The big issue with trading for Durant is he is 36 years old, while the remainder of the Hornets’ core is under 25 years old. The only bonus to trading for him is that because of his age, he could have a cheaper price than the rest of the guys on the list, but odds are he is a name the Hornets don’t do more than give a courtesy call on.
Domantas Sabonis
The Sacramento Kings have been an interesting team to monitor over these next few months. They traded their all-star guard De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs at the trade deadline and added all-star guard Zach Lavine to the team while not acquiring a single first-round pick. They also added DeMar DeRozan this offseason as well, aging their core significantly.
The Kings have performed decently since the trade deadline but still sit comfortably in the play-in. There is a realistic world where the Kings miss out on the postseason entirely based on current trends in the Western Conference. If that were to happen, the Kings could look to move on from the other core members from previous seasons.
Charlotte has also traded its franchise center, Mark Williams, once before in a trade that was later rescinded, so it stands to reason that they could look to acquire a different center to pivot off of Williams.
Sabonis is one of the best centers in the league, averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 assists, and a league-leading 14.1 rebounds per game while being able to space the floor, shooting 43.2% from three. He is also 28 years old, which is a little older than the Hornets’ timeline but still well in the range of what the Hornets could be looking for.
The trade could be beneficial for the Kings as they look to add more draft capital and a win-now type of player in Bridges. The Hornets could even look to include Williams in the trade to also receive another young piece from the Kings, like Keon Ellis or Devin Carter while also limiting the picks they send out to the Kings.
Lauri Markkanen
The Utah Jazz are in an interesting spot right now. They are currently the third-worst team in the league and are in the process of rebuilding while still having an All-Star forward in Lauri Markkanen on the team. During the 2024 offseason, the Jazz reportedly were in trade talks with the Warriors before they signed him to a five-year, $238M deal, making him untradable until this upcoming offseason.
With him being tradable this offseason, it stands to reason he may be shopped again. The 27-year-old forward would add positional size to the Hornets, something they have been lacking for years now. He also averages 19.3 points per game while shooting 35 percent from three on 8.4 attempts per contest. The size and volume shooting would fit Charles Lee’s offense perfectly, while creating more open driving lanes for LaMelo and Miller. The Jazz also get back more picks for their rebuild and someone on a good contract who can still score in volumes when asked in Bridges.
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is going to be the most polarizing name on this list to most people. The 24-year-old All-Star forward is as elite as they come when he is on the court. He averages 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game and is a lethal scorer inside the paint. While I have highlighted the Hornets’ need for outside shooting, a large proponent of that is to create space for the Hornets to score inside, which they do poorly. If you add one of the most dominant finishers in the league to the Hornets, you essentially alleviate that problem.
There is one major concern with Zion, though — his injury concerns. Williamson has only played over 65 games once in his career, and that was last season when he played 70 regular season games but ended up injured in the playoffs en route to a first-round exit for the Pelicans.
The team now has one of the worst records in basketball after a severely injured season. Williamson missed a majority of the games to start the year and has played a total of 24 at this point in the season.
There is a world where the Pelicans jump in the lottery and look to pivot off him in a different direction. If that were to happen, the Hornets could be prime candidates to take the swing on him. He is a Carolina kid who grew up in South Carolina and played college ball at Duke University. The local fans are more than familiar with his game and could spark life back in the fanbase.
Hornets are at a crossroads
The Hornets’ leadership is at an impasse this offseason. Plenty of decisions have to be made, and as a fan, I feel that if they don’t pick a direction, they will lose a large portion of the fan base. When you look at teams like the Detroit Pistons, only a few moves can make a huge difference. They went from being the worst team in the league for two seasons in a row to the top six in the Eastern Conference after an offseason making small deals and signings.
The Hornets have the skeleton and core of a great team. One of the players above or even a player we don’t know will be traded could be a piece that puts Charlotte in the postseason and, eventually, championship contention.