The Charlotte Hornets have completed a second major franchise shift in less than a week, trading forward Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns. This move follows the earlier trade that sent star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The trade, reported by ESPN, sent Bridges and a 2029 first-round pick, along with a 2027 second-rounder, to Phoenix. In return, the Hornets received veteran shooters Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick.
These transactions mark the end of an era for the Hornets, who have now moved on from the two primary players who defined the team for the past six seasons. Ball, alongside Josh Green, was traded to Minnesota earlier in the offseason for Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks.
Charlotte appears to be intentionally reshaping its team identity under new leadership, including Jeff Peterson, formerly the assistant general manager of the Nets, and head coach Charles Lee. The franchise has not reached the playoffs since 2016.
Despite a strong finish to the previous season, where the Hornets ranked first in net rating in the calendar year of 2026 and achieved 44 wins, their most since the 2015-16 season, they ultimately fell short of the postseason after a play-in game loss in April.
Bridges, who was with the Hornets since the 2018-19 season excluding the 2022-23 campaign due to a domestic violence incident, was in the final year of his contract. He averaged over 22.7 million dollars for the upcoming season and remained a primary scoring option for Charlotte, contributing in rebounding and secondary playmaking, though he was statistically the team's fourth offensive option behind Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel.
For Phoenix, the acquisition of Bridges is seen as an aggressive move to bolster their frontcourt with a versatile scorer and defender. The addition of a player in the final year of his contract also offers potential cap flexibility for the Suns.
The Hornets' decision to trade both Ball and Bridges signals a clear commitment to building around a new core, particularly with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. The team also retains significant tradeable first-round draft capital and has its key young players on rookie-scale contracts, potentially positioning them to pursue another star player in the future.