The Charlotte Hornets fully showed their intent during this year's trade deadline. In the midst of rebuilding, they decided it was to rebuild again.
Some folks might be wondering why that has become the team's direction. Keep in mind that current lead executive Jeff Peterson inherited almost the entire roster, with Tidjane Salaun, Josh Green, and Moussa Diabate as examples of the few players he had a hand bringing in.
So, if you think about it, it wasn't that surprising that Peterson was willing to give up Mark Williams, who had shown flashes of his star potential this season but has yet to convince everyone that he is over his injury-prone days. But you have to hand it to the Hornets VP of basketball operations for brilliantly landing future assets from the Los Angeles Lakers that the Dallas Mavericks couldn't get for Luka Doncic.
Charlotte landed even more draft picks
After the Williams trade, it was obvious that the organization had to double down on its commitment to rebuild. On the other hand, it also needed a center as its depth chart had shown that it only had Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson to man the position.
Peterson did well in hitting two birds with one stone by getting another first-round pick (2026) and a big man (Jusuf Nurkic) from the Suns. In exchange, Charlotte shipped out a couple of veterans (Vasilije Micic and Cody Martin) who didn't appear to be a part of the squad's future anyway and a second-round selection.
Of course, some might say that the 2026 first-rounder won't be that valuable because Phoenix is expected to continue contending in the 2025-26 campaign. But you never know; the franchise is a Kevin Durant drama away from imploding, which could result in that pick becoming even more helpful for the Hornets.
The most intriguing part of the latest deal, though, might be Nurkic.
In the Nick Richards trade earlier this season, the Suns reportedly wanted Charlotte to take on the "Bosnian Beast" and his massive contract. Peterson showcased his negotiation skills by asking for Josh Okogie and a net of two second-round picks instead, and then, weeks later, he decided to absorb Nurkic as long as it came along with a first-round selection. Not bad.
It remains to be seen if the 30-year-old vet will assume the starting role. Considering that Buzz City's season is already lost, it probably wouldn't matter as much as long as he doesn't stand in the way of Diabate's development.
With the deadline having passed, the Hornets are done making trades, although some players might have to be waived to make room for the incoming players and, hopefully, a standard contract for Diabate.