The Charlotte Hornets have been named as a winner this offseason by an NBA analyst.
The Charlotte Hornets made some major moves this offseason to retool the roster around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
They traded away LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns, adding draft capital for the future.
Charlotte also added two key pieces in the draft with Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson.
Ben Golliver of ESPN recently named the Hornets as one of the winners of the NBA offseason thus far.
"The Hornets made a tough, calculated bet against LaMelo Ball, an electric point guard who spent his first six seasons in Charlotte," Golliver wrote. "After winning 44 games and reaching the play-in tournament, the easy route would have been to keep Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel while making minor moves around the edges. Instead, the Hornets sent Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round swaps and three second-round picks. Charlotte made out like bandits compared to the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies, who traded Trae Young and Ja Morant, respectively, without receiving a single draft pick or swap in return."
Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesWhile on paper trading Ball, an All-Star guard, for Reid and draft capital may not look like a good deal, his injury history, plus the market value of other former All-Star point guards, shows that Charlotte made a great deal.
Ball is coming off a healthy season, as he appeared in 72 games, averaging 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.
The Hornets maximized his value and acquired additional draft capital for the future, along with Reid, who could be the team's starting power forward in the 2026-27 season.
Charlotte has also acquired more draft capital this offseason by taking on Dorian Finney-Smith's contract from the Houston Rockets, along with three second-round picks.
The Hornets may not be a contender in the 2026-27 season, but they have a bright future led by Knueppel and Miller, along with other young talent.
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