A proposed Hornets-Warriors-Magic trade sends Brandon Miller to Golden State and Paolo Banchero to Charlotte. Here's how the deal grades for all three teams.
Heavy's Sai Mohan published a three-team trade proposal Saturday that sends Brandon Miller from the Charlotte Hornets to the Golden State Warriors and Paolo Banchero from the Orlando Magic to Charlotte.
The trade card in the piece lists only what each team receives. Charlotte sends out Miller, Naz Reid, and Royce O'Neale and takes back Banchero and Moses Moody. Golden State sends Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 for Miller. Orlando moves Banchero for Reid, O'Neale, Podziemski, and both Warriors picks.
Charlotte gets no draft compensation in the deal.
The Money
Miller is in the final year of his rookie-scale contract at $15,104,626. Reid makes $23,275,862 this season and O'Neale makes $10,875,000, per Spotrac, which puts Charlotte's outgoing salary at $49,255,488.
Coming back, Banchero carries a $41,240,250 cap hit in the first year of the five-year, $239,193,450 designated rookie extension he signed in July 2025. That deal includes a player option for 2030-31. Moody makes $12,500,000 this season and is signed through 2027-28. Charlotte's incoming total is $53,740,250.
Heavy wrote that the Hornets would shave nearly $2M off their immediate payroll. The Hornets would add $4,484,762. The savings go to Orlando, which would send out Banchero's $41,240,250 and take back $39,830,320 in Reid, O'Neale, and Podziemski, a difference of $1,409,930.
Miller and the Hornets have until Oct. 19 to agree on a rookie-scale extension. If Miller signs a deal, the poison pill provision counts his incoming salary for an acquiring team at an average that includes the new money, not at $15.1M. If no deal gets done, Miller will reach restricted free agency next summer.
Hornets Grade: D+
Miller is coming off a 2025-26 campaign averaging 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 65 games. He shot 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range on 7.9 attempts per game, and 89.2% from the free-throw line. He had surgery in early May to address instability in his left shoulder and said at media day Monday that he had been cleared for full contact for about three weeks.
Banchero averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 72 games for Orlando. He shot 45.9% from the field and 30.5% from 3-point range on 3.8 attempts per game. He was an All-Star in his second season.
Both are 23.
As a rookie, Kon Knueppel led the NBA with 273 made 3-pointers, which became the most ever by a first-year player. He shot 42.3% from deep and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.
Part of Heavy's case for Charlotte is that Miller and Knueppel each attempt more than eight or nine threes per game. Miller averaged 7.9 attempts last season.
Moody tore his left patellar tendon in March. He has recently been limited to light court work, and no return timeline has been set.
Reid and O'Neale arrived in July. Charlotte acquired Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round swaps, and three second-round picks for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green. He's signed through 2029-30. O'Neale joined in the Miles Bridges trade after averaging 9.8 points and shooting 40.8% from three in 78 games for Phoenix.
At media day, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson pointed to the experience Reid, O'Neale, Grayson Allen, and Dennis Schröder add to the roster.
In July, Peterson said he had spoken with Miller and his representation about an extension.
"They know that we want Brandon here for a very, very long time," Peterson said.
Charlotte would give up three rotation players for one healthy player, take on an additional $4.5M in salary, and receive no picks. The Hornets won 44 games last season and fell one play-in victory short of their first playoff berth since 2016.
Warriors Grade: B+
Golden State would get a 23-year-old wing for a guard with no return date, a guard headed for restricted free agency, and two picks. One of those picks is encumbered. The Warriors owe their 2030 first-round pick to Washington if it lands between 21 and 30.
Podziemski and the Warriors are also negotiating against the Oct. 19 deadline. ESPN's Anthony Slater said on The Hoop Collective that Podziemski's 2027 cap hold is roughly $17.5M. Miller's hold would take its place on Golden State's books.
Magic Grade: C
Orlando would trade the 2022 No. 1 overall pick for two rotation players under contract through at least 2027-28, a guard who could become a restricted free agent next summer, and two Golden State picks, one of them conditional. Heavy wrote that the Magic are projected to become a second-apron team in 2027-28.
Reid is owed $25M in 2027-28. O'Neale is owed $11,625,000 that season, the last of his deal.
Miller and Podziemski both face the Oct. 19 deadline for rookie-scale extensions.
