NBA Analyst Picks Surprising Trade That Still Haunts Hornets Most

The Charlotte Hornets have seen some real issues throughout the years, mainly in the franchise trading away superstar talent.

Charlotte is the team that traded away Kobe Bryant on draft night, sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac. Bryant, of course, went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Lakers, winning five NBA titles during his tenure.

The Hornets have been haunted by the fact that they traded away Bryant, but not many people could have foreseen how dominant the guard would become. Bryant's legacy in the NBA continues today, putting more reminders of the mistake from the Hornets franchise all those years ago.

However, NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes that while the Bryant trade was tough to see, it isn't the one that still haunts the Hornets. According to Buckley, the team's trade of star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018 could be worse.

Gilgeous-Alexander was selected with the 11th overall pick by the Hornets in 2018, before the team traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets landed forward Miles Bridges, the 12th overall pick that year, and two future second-round draft picks in exchange for Gilgeous-Alexander.

Charlotte wanted to add a wing next to then star guard Kemba Walker, with Bridges fitting the mold nicely. Bridges had some flashes with the Hornets, giving the team a nice scoring threat on the wing.

But the veteran next made an All-Star team, and he never led the group to the postseason either. On the flip side, Gilgeous-Alexander has now become one of the best players in the NBA, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship in the 2024-25 season.

Gilgeous-Alexander has also won two MVP awards, while making the All-Star team four times in his career so far. The Thunder star is only 28 years old, with him still having a long career ahead of him.

While losing out on Gilgeous-Alexander was tough for the Hornets as a franchise, not keeping Bryant was a larger mistake. At the end of his career, Gilgeous-Alexander could have more titles and legacy than Bryant, but at this point, it isn't close.

Bryant's legacy and winning mentality are something that the Hornets missed out on, making it the trade that should still haunt the franchise the most. But then again, if Bryant had stayed in Charlotte, it is unknown if he would have become the player that he did.