Hornets just had one of the loudest weeks in franchise history. What to know
In the span of a few days, Charlotte’s front office traded its franchise star, moved its longest-tenured player, re-signed a starting point guard and drafted two first-rounders. Here’s a quick guide to the Hornets’ offseason overhaul before the 2026-27 season.
Here are key takeaways:
- LaMelo Ball was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Josh Green in exchange for bruising forward Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round pick swaps from 2028-30, second-rounders in 2029, 2032 and 2033, and a $40.7 million trade exception.
- Ball had been the face of Charlotte sports for his entire six-year tenure, succeeding Cam Newton in that role, but the Hornets never made the playoffs during his time with the club and fell one game short in the final month of the most recent season.
- Charlotte agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal with Coby White, the former UNC Tar Heel who shot 52.5% from the field and 39.1% from 3 in 23 games after arriving from Chicago at last season’s trade deadline. White will replace Ball as the team’s starting point guard.
- The Hornets shipped Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns along with draft picks for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-rounder — the third Charlotte-Phoenix trade in 16 months. Bridges had been the Hornets’ longest-tenured player, having joined the team in 2018.
- Former Hornets guard Kemba Walker, the franchise’s all-time leader in points, said fans should be excited about the team’s moves.
- At the 2026 NBA Draft, Charlotte grabbed Washington center Hannes Steinbach at No. 14, a 6-10 German who led the nation with 22 double-doubles and averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds.
- New Hornets guard Christian Anderson Jr. scored 27 points to beat Duke 82-81 on Dec. 20, 2025, scoring 23 in the second half and the winning free throw against the eventual 35-3 Blue Devils. The Hornets picked the Texas Tech point guard at No. 18 overall in last week’s NBA Draft, four picks after Steinbach. With Ball’s departure, Anderson may quickly become the team’s backup point guard.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.