Hornets GM Shares LaMelo Ball Reason for Miles Bridges Trade

Charlotte Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson made a ton of moves this offseason, including trading away All-Star guard LaMelo Ball and starting forward Miles Bridges.

Peterson gave some insight into trading away the stars, stating, "If we trade LaMelo (Ball), we're probably trading Miles (Bridges)."

This makes a ton of sense, as Bridges thrived playing alongside a playmaker like Ball. After moving Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft capital, trading Bridges was the next logical step. 

Charlotte got a solid return for Bridges, landing veterans Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen as well as an unprotected 2033 first-round pick. The Hornets parted with a 2029 first-round pick, which will be the least favorable between the Hornets, Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Minnesota Timberwolves, and a second-round pick, but they landed a valuable future pick.

Ball is coming off a good season, as he averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three. He is a talented playmaker and scorer, but his injury history made it a great time to capitalize on his value. 

Bridges also played well in the 2025-26 season, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from behind the arc. 

However, he was entering the final year of his contract, and the Hornets had acquired Reid to be the starting power forward. Peterson and the front office did a great job acquiring an unprotected first-round pick in the future for a player on an expiring contract.

Charlotte is entering a new era with a talented young core led by Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. Knueppel had a phenomenal rookie season, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from deep. 

Miller is the other star the Hornets are building around, as he averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from distance.

While the team will look different, Charlotte has established a talented core and will be competitive despite not having Ball or Bridges on the roster.