The fire sale has begun for the Charlotte Hornets after they traded away 29-year-old guard Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat and acquired Kyle Lowry and a lottery-protected 2027 1st-round pick. The trade now kickstarts a youth movement in Charlotte that features a budding core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams. All three are 22 years old and younger and should be a solid foundation to move forward with in the future.
Hitting the reset button makes a ton of sense for the Hornets. They are just 10-31 on the season and are once again headed towards another lottery finish. The Hornets reportedly plan to acquire future assets and other young players to build around their young trio of Ball, Miller, and Williams.
With the first domino in Rozier tipping over, Charlotte intends to make its veterans available ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. They have several pieces that playoff contenders and championship hopefuls could covet in a trade.
With that said, here are three players the Charlotte Hornets must move at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.
Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges returned to the NBA after he missed the entire 2022-23 season due to domestic violence issues. He recently pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges. Teams could be hesitant in trading for Bridges due to his off-court affairs. But it's hard to ignore how productive he has been for the Hornets this season.
After a breakout 2021-22 campaign, Bridges did not seem to miss a beat after sitting out an entire year. This season, he is averaging 20.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers are right around the ballpark of what he averaged in 2021-22 (20.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, on 49.1 percent shooting).
Off-court issues aside, Bridges is still a productive and efficient player on the basketball court. He is a nightly 20-points-per-game threat who can drive to the basket and be a decent floor spacer. Though he's shooting just above 35.6 percent from three overall, his catch-and-shoot rate is much better at 40.2 percent.
With his strong comeback season, the Hornets should be able to net a solid return for Flint, Michigan native. Several teams such as the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings have already expressed their interest in acquiring Bridges despite the risks he comes with.
PJ Washington
PJ Washington is another Charlotte Hornet who has popped up in trade rumors. Like Bridges, the Hornets could get a decent return for Washington.
Washington possesses the tools of the modern-day NBA four. He has terrific athleticism and offers a good mix of size, strength, and length that makes him capable of guarding all three positions in the front court.
Washington's numbers this season, however, have taken a hit as a result of Bridges' return. On the year, he is averaging just 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds on 43.0 percent shooting. He averaged 15.7 points and 4.9 rebounds the season before.
Nonetheless, teams in need of more size and versatility in the frontcourt should keep their tabs on the 6-foot-7 forward. The Dallas Mavericks are in the market for a versatile wing at the four and Washington was identified as a potential trade target for them. It should also be noted that the Mavs tried to land Washington in free agency this past summer, but the 25-year-old ultimately stuck in Charlotte.
Likewise, Zach Lowe of ESPN suggested the Hornets forward as a potential trade target for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who could use more size up front to pair with Chet Holmgren.
Gordon Hayward
Another player that the Hornets reportedly intend to trade is veteran forward Gordon Hayward. When healthy, the 33-year-old Hayward is still a productive player who can provide solid scoring and playmaking on the wings. This season, he is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting nearly 47 percent from the field.
However, Hayward could be more difficult to move than Bridges or Washington because of his health and his contract. The 6-foot-7 forward has struggled to stay consistently on the floor throughout his Hornets tenure due to injuries. And this season is no different. He has appeared in just 25 games and has missed the last 13 contests for Charlotte.
Likewise, teams interested in acquiring the veteran will need to pile up assets that can get to Hayward's $31.5 million price tag this season. There is a possibility that teams could just wait for the Hornets to buy out Hayward, so they could avoid paying a hefty price to get him aboard.
Still, if a team values Hayward enough, they could beat out the competition outright by trading for him. There are teams with expiring deals that can ideally trade for the 33-year-old. Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that Hayward gets dealt. With his injury history and his expensive contract, it makes more sense for rival teams to compete for him in the buyout market.
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