5 Hornets trades to watch for ahead of NBA trade deadline
By Nic Thomas
The Hornets have officially parted ways with Terry Rozier, lighting a firesale that has undoubtedly piqued interest around the league.
The veteran guard headed to Miami to pair up with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro en route to a potentially deep playoff run. In return, the Hornets received Kyle Lowry and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round draft pick. This has cleared over $55 million in cap room for the Hornets this summer, the third-highest in the league.
Many have anticipated this money isn't for free agent purposes but instead for an OKC Thunder-esque reset that will allow us to take on bad contracts from other teams in exchange for future draft assets.
According to Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak, the only untouchable pieces are All-Star LaMelo Ball and the second overall selection in the most recent draft, Brandon Miller.
In particular, Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, Kyle Lowry, Gordon Hayward, Nick Richards, and P.J. Washington are in demand from other teams looking to make a playoff push.
So what's next?
According to Kupchak, the Hornets "aren't done" for the trade deadline, a time when they are typically quiet. We can likely anticipate further moves to sell the aforementioned talents. But to where? Well, I've compiled a trade deadline plan of sorts that allows Charlotte to continue stocking up on future assets.
Trade 1: P.J Washington and Cody Martin to Dallas.
Hornets Receive:
Richuan Holmes (2yrs/$24 Million)
Maxi Kleber (3yrs/$33 Million)
Olivier Maxence-Prosper (4yrs/$10.8M)
2025 Second-Round Pick (via Toronto, Unprotected)
2028 Second-Round Pick (via Miami, Unprotected)
Mavericks Receive:
P.J. Washington (3yrs/$48 Million)
Cody Martin (2yrs/$14 Million)
For the Mavericks, they rid themselves of $55 million in bad contracts from players who don't even really play. They receive P.J. Washington, the perfect floor-spacing four, who will allow Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to make the most of their isolation scoring abilities, as no one will be able to leave Washington to double either of those players. Washington also recently inked a fantastic value, long-term deal.
They also bring in Cody Martin to fill the gaping hole in their lineup, the wing position. They have no wings with strong defensive abilities. In Martin, they get a player who can guard the opponent's best offensive player every night and allow Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to focus their energy and attention on the offensive side of the ball. Martin brings a level of intensity and desire you can't teach, and I have no doubt the Mavericks fans and front office alike will fall in love with his game.
The Hornets get a fantastic prospect whom I was extremely high on in Olivier Maxence-Prosper. He projects as the ideal 3-and-D wing, so highly coveted in today's game. They also add the all-important future draft assets, with second-round picks in 2025 and 2028 coming their way.