Will the Charlotte Hornets make any trades this season?
NBA trade season is here and analyst Dan Favale of Bleacher Report has identified the Charlotte Hornets' top three trade assets.
Favale believes the Hornets should be sellers since they are one of the worst teams in the East. He also thinks LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton and Charlotte's possession of the Miami Heat's 2027 first-round pick are the Hornets' top trade assets this season.
"LaMelo escaped the first round of this exercise, but he won't be spared from this one," Favale wrote. "Another ankle injury forces the Charlotte Hornets to ask some uncomfortable questions. They may decide moving him in-season won't adequately reflect his value, but even as an unreliable dice roll, he's their most attractive (realistically available) asset.
"Putting the Heat's first-rounder on the table is counter-intuitive to Charlotte's big-picture mission. But it has two others picks in 2027: Its own, and the Dallas Mavericks' selection (top-two protection). Flipping Miami's first-rounder could net distant picks with higher upside down the line from teams who need more immediate sweeteners to complete other deals.
"Sexton is a multipurpose asset. His expiring contract can help teams lop off longer-term money, and his meld of shooting, driving and capacity to play off other ball-handlers renders him a legitimate needle-mover for win-now squads prowling the market for perimeter punches on offense."
The Hornets are 8-18. They are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings. All signs point toward the organization missing the playoffs again.
Charlotte should trade its veterans and build around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. Ball, Sexton and Miles Bridges don't really serve a purpose on this team anymore.
The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016. They have only had one winning season in the Ball era. It's time to start a new era in Charlotte and part ways with Ball and Bridges.
Sexton is only considered a trade candidate because he's a veteran who is better suited to play for a team trying to win.