The Charlotte Hornets are setting themselves up for the future, and they’ve spent the entire summer focusing on that goal. From bringing in Charles Lee to trading for Josh Green to drafting Tidjane Salaun, they want to do this rebuild right.
For the past two years, they’ve been at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and while they would obviously like to escape from that basement, they are not going to rough their plans.
With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller leading the way, the Hornets have the top pieces of their young core in place, and they have built out a solid young team around those guys.
And while they may not be looking to make any major trades in the immediate future, they have a great pool of assets. At least, according to Bleacher Report.
Hornets ranked 10th in Bleacher Report trade asset rankings
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently compiled a list that ranks all 30 NBA teams in order of who has the best trade assets at the current moment. Charlotte landed at No. 10 on the list.
Bailey listed Ball, Grant Williams, and Tidjane Salaun as some of the top trade assets on the roster. He also noted their picks, which include selections from the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat in 2027.
First and foremost, it seems highly unlikely that the Hornets will trade Ball. While it may be tempting to move him because of his injury history, he’s the face of the franchise.
When Ball is on the court, he’s one of the most electrifying point guards in the league. He just needs to stay healthy and he should be capable of leading the Hornets into the future.
Charlotte probably isn’t in the market to trade Williams or Salaun, either. Williams proved to be an important part of their team last year with his leadership and defense, and Salaun is a fresh face on the team, as they just selected him sixth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
All that being said, the fact that the Hornets have so many quality players who they could consider trading to help them moving forward is a great thing, and Charlotte deserves to be that high up in Bleacher Report’s rankings.