5 Trade Targets Who Could Fix The Charlotte Hornets’ NBA-Worst Offense
· Yahoo Sports
The Charlotte Hornets won 44 games last season, but things are looking very different this year. They’re 4-7 and have gone from the NBA’s fifth-best offense to the worst. They’re scoring only 98.8 points per game, the fewest in the league, and have already scored fewer than 82 points in three games. That’s a very bad start for a team that was expected to compete again.
One big reason is the LaMelo Ball trade. The Hornets sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the summer and got Naz Reid and a lot of draft picks, but they still haven’t found a player who can do what Ball did. Last season, Charlotte posted a 123.2 offensive rating when Ball played and only 110.6 when he sat. Now that number is down to 103.4 for the whole team, the worst in the NBA.
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The Hornets are also shooting horrendous, making just 40.0% from the field (30th) and 30.8% from three (28th). They’re getting only 21.5 assists per game (30th) and losing the ball 19.0 times per game (30th), which makes it even harder to score. And while they’re struggling to make threes, they’re still taking 44.6 per game, first in the league.
Brandon Miller is leading the team with 20.6 points per game, but he’s shooting only 35.6% from the field, while Reid is scoring 17.4 points. Coby White has also been struggling, with just 7.0 points and 3.8 assists on 23.7% shooting, and Kon Knueppel being away with brutal injuries made things even harder.
Charlotte finally got a good win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, beating them 124-112 with 27 points from Grayson Allen and 25 from Reid. But the Hornets made 50.0% of their threes in that game, and they can’t expect to shoot that well every time.
The Hornets still have some good young players and several draft picks they got from the Ball trade, so they have options if they want to make a move. They clearly need more help on offense, and these five players could make it easier for Charlotte to score and win more games.
1. Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings Receive: Naz Reid, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaun, 2027 first-round pick (via Miami, top-14 protected)
I’d start with Domantas Sabonis because the Hornets actually tried getting him before, as Sacramento and Charlotte were talking about a deal prior to the 2026 draft, and Brett Siegel mentioned recently that the interest hasn’t totally vanished, even if things have been quiet lately.
Now, the numbers on the 30-year-old big man look a little down from his usual self, sitting at 13.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting a ridiculous 67.1% from the floor. But that’s mostly because the Kings have crashed out of the gate at 1-10, with Darius Acuff Jr. completely dominating the rock.
This is still a three-time All-Star and multi-time All-NBA guy who once averaged over eight assists a night. He basically acts as a point guard from the high elbows, which is a massive cheat code for an offense without a true point guard.
And that is precisely what Charlotte is desperate for. With no LaMelo at bay, the Hornets have nosedived straight to the bottom of the league in assists. Dropping a center into the middle who can dish out six or eight dimes every night would completely open things up for Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Coby White to get clean looks. He won’t fully replicate everything LaMelo brought to the table, but he gives them an actual offensive brain.
Of course, the price tag is steep. Sending Naz Reid, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaun, and a protected 2027 first-rounder via Miami is a lot to swallow, especially while taking on Sabonis and his $45.5 million salary. But from Sacramento’s side, sitting at 1-10 and pivoting hard toward Acuff, getting a starting center, expiring contracts, a young lottery ticket, and future draft capital makes a ton of sense.
The main drawback for Charlotte is losing Reid’s spacing since Sabonis doesn’t really shoot threes. Even with that, though, upgrading your passing this drastically is worth the gamble. He may be the best option on the board, mostly because the groundwork between these two front offices was already laid out months ago.
2. Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Coby White, Grayson Allen, 2027 first-round pick (via Dallas, top-2 protected), 2033 first-round pick (via Phoenix, top-2 protected)
Imagine going from the worst offense in basketball to having Kyrie Irving running your team. I know it sounds crazy, especially when the Hornets are only 4-7, but Charlotte has enough draft picks to at least make an offer, and Irving is still one of the most electric scoring guards in the NBA.
He just dropped 35 points against the Pacers on Monday, making seven of his ten threes while the Dallas Mavericks won 125-122. He’s 34, but we’re still talking about a nine-time All-Star who won a championship with LeBron James in 2016 and has scored more than 23 points per game throughout his career.
I’d love his fit next to Miller and Knueppel, because Charlotte wouldn’t have to ask its young wings to create every shot anymore. Irving can score 30 when the team needs him, but he can also handle the ball, create shots for teammates, and make defenses pay when they leave him open.
The trade package would send White and Allen to Dallas, along with the Mavericks‘ own 2027 first-round pick, as the other asset would be the Suns’ 2033 first-round pick, also owned by the Hornets, with top-two protection. Dallas would get its own future pick back, another first, and two established guards.
There’s a pretty big problem, though: the Mavericks don’t want to trade Irving right now. Marc Stein reported that Dallas has been rejecting calls, and Irving recently talked about his desire to stay put. With Cooper Flagg playing excellent basketball and the Mavericks winning four straight, I don’t see them rushing into anything.
And honestly, I’d be careful if I were Charlotte, too. Irving makes $39.5 million this season and has a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28, so this would be a huge investment in a 34-year-old guard.
I still think he’s worth discussing because his scoring would change Charlotte immediately, but this is more of a dream scenario than a trade I expect to happen soon.
3. Fred VanVleet – Houston Rockets
Charlotte Hornets receive: Fred VanVleet
Houston Rockets receive: Dennis Schroder, Royce O’Neale, 2028 second-round pick (via Houston)
If a team keeps turning the ball over and can’t find open shots, getting someone like Fred VanVleet makes a lot of sense before trading away all your draft picks for a big star. He won’t score 30 points every night, but he has run NBA backcourts for almost ten years, and that steady veteran leadership is exactly what Charlotte needs right now.
The 32-year-old guard puts up 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while hitting 36.8% of his three-pointers this year back from injury. The best part is his 1.3 turnovers per game, as he takes care of the basketball, makes smart passes, and hits shots when defenders leave him open. He also averaged 8.1 assists in his first year with the Rockets, so we know he knows how to help a young team get better.
Playing next to Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel would be a great fit because those young players shouldn’t have to make off-the-dribble shots as often. VanVleet can run the offense, find open shooters, and take the pressure off the main scorers. Since Knueppel is still recovering from a hamstring injury, having an experienced guard keeps the offense from falling apart.
The trade is also easy to make. VanVleet is on an expiring $25.0 million contract, while Schroder and O’Neale give Houston two solid veterans for their bench, along with their own 2028 second-round pick back.
Houston would have to agree, of course, as they aren’t giving away their starting point guard for nothing while trying to win games, and there are no rumors of him being available. But if Charlotte can tempt them with this offer, it is a smart move. It isn’t about landing a superstar; it is about getting a point guard who makes everyone else’s job easier.
4. Ryan Rollins – Milwaukee Bucks
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Ryan Rollins
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Christian Anderson Jr., 2031 second-round pick (via Milwaukee)
Just a few months ago, Ryan Rollins was one of the league’s best young stories, starting 67 games for the Bucks and averaging 17.3 points while shooting 40.6% from deep, and they didn’t even want to include him in the Ja Morant talks.
Now, his numbers have dropped to 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, and his playing time went down from 32.1 minutes to 23.4. His overall shooting percentage is down to 39.8%, but he is still hitting 37.3% of his three-pointers, meaning he can still shoot the ball.
Things changed in Milwaukee after Giannis Antetokounmpo left this summer, obviously, with Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. taking up most of the shots. Rollins still plays, but Charlotte could give him a much bigger role right away with the Bucks boasting a huge backcourt rotation now.
At just 24 years old, Rollins fits Charlotte’s age group much better than an older rental player. He can space the floor, make plays, and grow alongside Miller and Knueppel without forcing the team to give up a valuable first-round pick.
His contract is also cheap, making just $4.0 million this year with a $4.0 million player option for next season, which he’ll most likely reject. Sending Christian Anderson Jr. (the 18th pick in the 2026 draft) along with a future second-rounder to a struggling Milwaukee team gives them young talent to build around.
He won’t fix everything by himself, but getting a young guard who can score 17 points for a low price is great value.
5. Collin Gillespie – Phoenix Suns
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Collin Gillespie
Phoenix Suns Receive: Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley, 2028 second-round pick (via Orlando)
Think back to what Collin Gillespie did last season: he hit 232 three-pointers to set a Suns team record and started 58 games when Phoenix made the playoffs. Now he is coming off the bench and struggling with his shot, which makes him a great low-cost target for a struggling Charlotte offense.
He finished last season averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 40.1% from deep in 80 games. He doesn’t need 20 shots a game to help out, and his low 1.6 turnovers per game last year would instantly help a Hornets team that gives the ball away too much.
This year has been tougher, with his averages dropping to 7.2 points and 4.4 assists on 33.3% shooting overall and 31.7% from deep. But a 12-point, 8-assist, 4-triple game against the Clippers proves he can still shoot and create for the rest of the team.
With him, Charlotte could gain a steady guard who can play off the ball when Miller runs the action. The trade sends young forwards Tidjane Salaun and Liam McNeeley to Phoenix along with an Orlando second-rounder, giving the Suns two young first-round picks to develop instead of keeping a 27-year-old guard who lost his starting spot.
The main problems are that Phoenix just signed him to a four-year, $48.0 million deal and he cannot be traded until January 15, meaning Charlotte would have to wait. But if his shooting bounces back, getting a smart, low-turnover shooter without giving up a first-rounder is worth the wait.
Which Trade Should The Hornets Try?
The Hornets are scoring only 37.3 points in the paint and 9.3 fast-break points per game, ranking last in the NBA in both. Sabonis could help them score more near the basket, while Kyrie could become their main ball-handler after the LaMelo trade.
Charlotte also has only four players scoring at least ten points per game, the fewest in the league. That’s why Rollins, VanVleet, and Gillespie could be good options, but the Hornets have to be careful about who they give up in a trade.
For example, trading White and Allen for Kyrie would give Charlotte a great scorer, but the team would also lose two players who can score. A smaller trade for Rollins could help them add more offense without losing their main players.
That’s why going after a cheaper player might be a better idea. The Hornets need more players who can score, and they don’t have to trade for a superstar to improve their offense.