Other teams have started to get the ball rolling on the trade front, with the Los Angeles Lakers being the latest to make a move. Their acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith can actually help the Charlotte Hornets find a deal for Cody Martin, as the market for a quality defensive wing/forward has shrunk a bit.
It remains to be seen if the Hornets would look to move Martin, as the veteran has proven to be useful in some games because of his ability to cover the opponents' best perimeter player. The team has also used him as a ball handler for the second unit, and he shot the ball well from long distance in the early parts of the season.
Perhaps a higher priority to be shipped out is Vasilije Micic, although coach Charles Lee has often heaped praises upon him. Still, the point guard hasn't looked like a good fit with Charlotte, even as he has put up some decent games during the team's slump.
There might be one fewer possible suitor for Micic
There had been hope that the Hornets could send Micic to the Denver Nuggets. He is one of Nikola Jokic's closest friends in the NBA and has shown great chemistry with the three-time MVP whenever they represent Serbia in international competition.
However, it only makes sense for the Nuggets to bring in Micic if they have decided to abort the Russell Westbrook experiment. Having a plethora of ball handlers in Jokic, Westbrook, and Jamal Murray would have made the 30-year-old point guard a dead weight on the roster.
For a while, it seemed like Denver was on its way to seeking a replacement for the 2017 NBA MVP because of how misfit he appeared with the rest of the squad.
Things have changed because he has been thriving with the Nuggets, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per match while shooting a whopping 54.9 percent from the field (over 10 percentage points better than his season average). Westbrook's energy and fearlessness have earned his teammates' praises, such as when he didn't hold back from talking trash with notable enforcer Isaiah Stewart in Denver's recent win over the Detroit Pistons.
As it stands, the Mile High City squad will likely retain the nine-time All-Star for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign, which means one fewer possible suitor for Micic.
There is still over a month before the trade deadline, though, so anything can happen. Who knows, maybe Micic can rediscover his form from the last campaign when he recorded 10.8 points and 6.2 assists per contest in 30 appearances after the Hornets acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the middle of the regular season.