This season, the Charlotte Hornets are once again not one of the better teams, although they are certainly on the rise. For the first time, LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller are all playing winning basketball. Add in rookie Kon Knueppel and veteran Collin Sexton, and the Hornets are fun and frisky.
Despite their potential, they are very much still a rebuilding team. They need to add defense and players who can stay healthy. The Hornets are still a year or two away from making a real, sustainable playoff push.
In an effort to round out their young core and acquire more draft capital, the Hornets have been floated as a possible trade partner for contenders to make a deal with.
GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 22: Collin Sexton #8 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center on October 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Charlotte Hornets Urged to Shop Collin Sexton
Adding Sexton as a veteran trade acquisition this summer has already paid massive dividends for the Hornets. Not only are they playing a winning brand of basketball, but their young stars seem entirely bought in.
For the first time in Ball’s career, he looks poised to be a leader, and Sexton has helped with that. However, his value on the trade market has never been higher.
This season, Sexton is averaging 18.6 points and 4.6 assists off the bench. He is a high-effort, albeit limited, defender, and offers excellent scoring efficiency. He seems like the exact player a win-now team would relish to lead the second unit.
“Maybe he’s an earlier trade candidate for a team that needs to win some regular-season games and then knows that maybe he becomes a little bit of a liability in the playoffs,” floated Bryce Simon on The Game Theory Podcast. “He can score the basketball. He’s averaging almost 20 a game right now on crazy efficiency. He at least competes on the defensive end. He’s on an expiring deal. I feel like that’s a guy that some contender out there, whether it’s injury or otherwise, is going to go get.”
Sexton is owed $18.7 million this season and will be a free agent next summer, making him a low-risk trade target.
Possible Trade Partners for Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets, at this stage in their rebuild, should value young players, defenders, and picks.
Sexton commands enough value that the Hornets should get an attractive package back, and his manageable salary allows the Hornets to refuse any bad contracts in return.
As Simon suggested, a win-now team looking to make a playoff push seems like an ideal fit.
Simon’s co-host, Sam Vecenie, floated the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Boston Celtics as possible trade destinations.
The Celtics aren’t exactly in a rush to win games this season, and Ryan Rollins has broken out as an excellent point guard for the Bucks. The Mavericks, on the other hand, need ball-handlers and facilitators to maximize Cooper Flagg. Brandon Williams has stepped up in limited minutes, but Sexton is a safer bet.
If the Mavericks continue to struggle with the backcourt, expect Sexton to emerge on their radar.
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