The Charlotte Hornets have been named as a trade destination for a talented center.
The Charlotte Hornets have made a ton of moves this offseason, but there could be more to come.
The Hornets are reportedly a team to monitor in acquiring Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein has a $28.5 million team option, which they could accept and trade to clear more salary off the books while picking up assets.
The Thunder have been active in clearing salary to get under the second apron, including trading away Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe.
Hartenstein could be the next to be moved, and Charlotte makes sense as a destination, as he would be a clear upgrade at the starting center position.
The Hornets can create a $40.7 million TPE (Traded Player Exception) from the LaMelo Ball trade, where they sent Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks.
With Charlotte's abundance of draft capital and the Thunder needing to get off the salary, it likely wouldn't cost a ton to land Hartenstein.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesHartenstein is coming off a solid season with Oklahoma City, averaging 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 62.2 percent from the field.
The seven-footer would create a solid starting five for the Hornets of Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Reid, and Hartenstein. General manager Jeff Peterson and Charlotte's front office are retooling the roster around Knueppel and Miller, and more work remains to become a playoff team.
The Hornets currently have a young center rotation that includes Moussa Diabaté, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and 14th-overall pick Hannes Steinbach. While all three are talented, Hartenstein is a more consistent player and has valuable playoff experience.
The 28-year-old big man was a key piece for Oklahoma City as they won the championship in the 2024-25 season.
While Hartenstein may not be a star, he would be a major upgrade at the starting center position and help the Hornets make a playoff push in the 2026-27 season.
Hornets Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Hornets. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
