5 Outside the box trades the Hornets should make to acquire dream targets
By Ben Handler
![Dec 31, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) controls the ball against Ben Simmons (10) Dec 31, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) controls the ball against Ben Simmons (10)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4225,h_2376,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/179/01hns9a5ntjkwmvh7h97.jpg)
AJG to CHA trade
The Hawks haven’t been linked to Bridges at all, and have mostly been thought of as sellers, but with their recent 4-game winning streak, maybe they are considering a pivot. This would be a cheap option for them who could play the 3 or 4 and fit in nicely around Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Neither Mills nor Griffin play very much for Atlanta, and Bridges would provide depth on the wing and another versatile, but differing skill set to complement players like Bogdan Bogdanovic, D’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and Saddiq Bey.
Even with their slow start to the season and 22-27 record, the Hawks still hold 10th place in the East, inside the play-in. And they’re only 4 games back of the 6 seed in the loss column with 33 games to go. Adding Bridges for the stretch run isn’t a crazy thought.
The Hornets would take on the expiring Patty Mills, who would perhaps become a buyout candidate in Charlotte. But more importantly, they’d land the promising 20-year-old Griffin, the #16 overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Griffin is having a down year in Atlanta and hasn’t been able to carve out a role yet, but he was thought to be one of the best shooters in the draft when he came out, hitting 45% of his long-distance shots at Duke.
At 6’6” and with solid athleticism, Griffin would be a nice fit for the Hornets, allowing them to play strong two-way lineups without any player under 6’6” on the floor, potentially creating a deadly combo of size and shooting.