The Charlotte Hornets have been connected to a $72 million move before the NBA trade deadline.
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges have stolen the show as far as potential Charlotte Hornets trade chips before the NBA trade deadline, but there is another intriguing Hornets player who could also be on the move: Collin Sexton.
Charlotte acquired Sexton in a deal that sent big man Jusuf Nurkic to the Utah Jazz over the summer, and with Sexton on an expiring contract, it makes sense for the Hornets to gauge the market for him between now and Feb. 5.
Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints has reported that the Los Angeles Clippers — who have been rolling of late after a brutal start — have expressed interest in Sexton, who is earning $19 million this season.
Sexton signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jazz back in 2022, and given the current NBA landscape, the deal ended up being a bargain.
In 36 games and 12 starts with the Hornets this season, Sexton is averaging 14.9 points and four assists over 23.2 minutes a night on 49.3/38.5/87.5 shooting splits. He owns a career-high true-shooting percentage of 62.1 percent and is also attempting 6.2 free throws per 36 minutes, so he has been a very efficient scorer.
Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton. Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images.For that reason, Sexton might actually be the most desirable trade piece Charlotte possesses. The receiving team would have no financial obligation to him beyond this season, and he is clearly a very easy plug-and-play guard.
The same cannot for Ball, who is on a $204 million contract that runs through 2029 and is a wildly inefficient player. Not only that, but he played in 36, 22 and 47 games, respectively, over the preceding three campaigns.
Bridges has another year left on his deal after this season and is earning $25 million this year. He is slated to make $22.8 million in 2026-27. While he brings great versatility to the table, he is a high-volume scorer who may not fit in all situations.
Unless the Hornets have interest in keeping Sexton beyond this year, it would be surprising if the former first-round pick was not dealt within the next two weeks.
The Clippers are surely not the only team interested in Sexton, and Charlotte may be able to squeeze a decent asset out of the University of Alabama product.
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