2024 Charlotte Hornets Trade Value Rankings

Welcome to the 2024 Charlotte Hornets trade value rankings. A couple of caveats before we dive in.

1. Yes, this idea is ripped from Bill Simmons.
2. Yes, I still listen to Bill Simmons in the year of our Lord 2024.
3. Yes, I enjoy Bill Simmons, sue me.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, some ground rules for these rankings need to be established. On this year’s trade value ranking podcast, Simmons factored in these things to his rankings.

• Salaries
• Age
• Contract length
• Past trade precedence
• Player happiness

We’ll get into each of those as they come. I’ve listened or read to Simmons’ trade value rankings for well over a decade now, and I’m interested in running the idea through the Hornets lens. The only players being considered are those that are on the current roster, two-ways included.

Tier Eight: How come he don’t want me man?

18: Ish Smith - 35 years old, 17.3 minutes per game, 3.3 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, 1.8 rebounds per game, 43/50/75 splits

Apologies to the OG, but he’s at the bottom of the list. Smith likely never expected to see 17.3 minutes per game in his age 35 season, but due to injuries and trades, that has become his reality. The 13-year veteran has been involved in numerous trades over the years, but in his current state, he holds little to no value for a contending team. His salary isn’t enough to be used as filler, and his game isn’t good enough to make an impact on a contending team. His veteran leadership is needed in Charlotte, but other team’s already have that role filled.

17: Frank Ntilikina - 25, 8.6 minutes, 1.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 11/12/100 splits

If you Google the name Frank Ntilikina, under “people also ask,” you’ll see “What happened to Frank Ntilikina?” And “Does Frank Ntilikina still play basketball?”

The answers to those questions are: “he got hurt,” and “sometimes.”

Ntilikina has struggled to stay healthy, and when healthy, he’s been unproductive. The former lottery pick failed to garner much attention this offseason, proving his value across the league is low.

Tier Seven: Look how the massacred my boy

16: Cody Martin - 28, 25.9 minutes, 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 37/33/52 splits

Injuries have really zapped his ability. We saw in last season’s playoffs that his twin brother, Caleb, is a really valuable NBA player. When they were both together in Charlotte, Cody cleared Caleb. His ceiling was high, but his long-term knee issue has rendered him to a bench role. As in, sitting on the bench more often than not due to his injuries. 

A 28-year-old bench player that is consistently battling knee injuries doesn’t carry much value across the league, as much as Hornets’ fans want to cling to what could have been with Cody Martin.

Tier Six: Still young, but what’s the upside?

15: Nathan Mensah - 25, 12.3 minutes, 0.3 points 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists 43/0/75 splits

Mensah was dealt a tough hand. The plan all along was for him to spend time developing in Greensboro, but he was thrown into the fire after injuries to both of Charlotte’s centers.

The second-year big has shown some flashes of rim-protecting and finishing abilities, but he’s still incredibly raw and past the age that teams take swings on. Those things combined with his 6’9” frame limit his value.

14: James Bouknight - 23, 5.8 minutes, 3.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 43/43/50 splits

The plight of Bouknight in Charlotte has ben well-detailed. The 2021 lottery pick came in with high expectations but failed to deliver on and off the court. Some creation abilities and shooting touches have flashed, but Bouknight hasn’t earned enough time on the court to prove his worth to teams outside of Charlotte.

13: JT Thor - 21, 3.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 37/31/53 splits

Thor is such an interesting player, and still worth a gamble. He’s tall, long, and versatile, but has failed to parlay his physical gifts into on-court production. His perceived ceiling is high, but he slots in so low on this list because of how much time he’s seen on the floor and how little he’s shown in those minutes.

Tier Five: 2022-23 Dart throws

12: Amari Bailey - 19, appeared in only two games with the senior club so stats don’t do him justice

11: Leaky Black - 24, 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 assist, 42/50/60 splits

10: Bryce McGowens - 21, 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 45/35/75 splits

These three guys are lumped together because they all are in the same boat (McGowens probably has a better seat on the boat than Black and Bailey, but you get the picture). All three are guard/wing types that Charlotte has drafted or signed to develop. Dart throws taken in the draft or post-draft free agency to see if they can find a long-term contributor out of nowhere.

Each of these three have either shown enough in college or limited NBA minutes that teams could talk themselves into what they’ve seen so far. None of these three carry significant value outside of the Queen City. 

McGowens slots in at the head of the trio due to his contract. Black and Bailey are on a two-year and one-year deal respectively. McGowens inked a four-year contract after he was drafted, so if a team were to trade for him they'd have contractual control for multiple years following 2023-24

Tier Four: The vets

9: Kyle Lowry - 37, 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 42/38/83 splits (all stats accrued with Miami)

8: Gordon Hayward - 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 36/36/76 splits

Two more guys that deserve to be paired together.

Both Hayward and Lowry would be perfect role players on contenders. They’ve played games on the biggest stages and can be trusted by teams to play 15-20 minutes in the playoffs and not lose big games.

Neither bring much to the table in Charlotte as things stand, and if long-term assets can be had for either or both, Charlotte would do well to move them before the deadline.

Realistically, 2025-26 will be the first chance Charlotte has to make a run in the playoffs, and by then both Lowry and Hayward will be well past their primes.

Tier Three: Where there’s smoke there’s fire

7: Nick Richards - 26, 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 68/0/75 splits

Richards’ name has popped up in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, and it makes sense. Elite NBA big-men dominate in the playoffs (Jokic, Davis, Giannis, etc.) and the trade deadline has become an arms race to find size to combat seven footers across the NBA.

Richards brings exactly that, and his rebounding and screening skills are perfect for the third big man role on a contending team.

6: Miles Bridges - 25, 21.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 45/36/87 splits

Bridges is a complicated case. He’s clearly very talented and entering the prime of his career. However, his contractual situation dampens his value. Bridges signed a one-year contract this offseason, meaning that for some teams (Phoenix, specifically, due their salary commitments for 2024 and beyond), he's a half season rental. Also, he owns a no-trade clause, meaning he can pick his destination. 

On top of that, his off the court issues are still partially unresolved, putting a massive question mark on his long-term viability for other teams.

5: PJ Washington - 25, 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 45/33/72 splits

On the court, Washington’s impact is comparable to Bridges. Washington can’t match Bridge’s scoring chops, but his defensive ability and lack of baggage raises him above Bridges. Also, Washington inked a long-term deal this summer with Charlotte, making him a long-term play for any team that looks to acquire him at the deadline.

Washington would be a great connective piece on a contender. His shooting and defensive abilities combined with his size make for an ideal seventh or eighth man in a playoff rotation.

Tier Three: Not sure what we have, but we know we aren’t trading it quite yet

4: Nick Smith Jr. - 19, 6.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 40/45/80 splits

I believe that Smith will be in the rotation the next time Charlotte plays in the playoffs. Smith lacks ideal size as an off-ball guard, but his scoring ability and shooting touch flashed immediately. He’ll need to get stronger and become a better finisher to round out his offensive game, but the 19-year-old has proven his long-term viability just four and a half months into his rookie season.

Tier Two: The future

3: Mark Williams - 22, 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 64/0/72

Williams’ back injury is the most important sliding door of the Hornets 2023-24 season. The second-year center was showing real flashes of top-tier paint play.

Williams is a real deterrent at the rim, and his improved finishing ability pairs perfectly with a creative point guard in LaMelo Ball and knockdown shooter Brandon Miller. The fit of those three players is perfect and when Charlotte returns to the playoffs it will be on the back of those players.

2: LaMelo Ball - 22, 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8 assists, 43/35/87 splits

Recency bias? Maybe. But there are real factors that go into this decision.

The main one is health. Ball hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his NBA career. When healthy, Ball is a supernova and a top-15 offense unto himself with his playmaking and shooting combo, but he flat out misses too many games.

The other is his contract. Both LaMelo and Miller are locked down for years to come, but Miller will be significantly cheaper than Ball when LaMelo’s contract extension kicks in this offseason.

Tier One: The Franchise

1: Brandon Miller - 21, 16.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 44/39/83 splits

If the last five games are predictive at all, Miller has the goods to be a top ten player in the league at his peak. The rookie is scoring 20+ points per game with ease over the last month, and he’s doing it at an efficient clip.

In his last five games, his lowest point output is 21 and his worst shooting game is 38.1% from the field.

Brandon Miller’s biggest believers during draft season have seen their projections come through as the Alabama product has flourished. He has a savvy, veteran-like ability to get to his spots on the floor and cash jumpers over some of the league’s best defenders. His explosive athleticism is on display nightly on both ends of the floor as he tips passes on one end and throws down highlight dunks on the other.

In a league dominated by big men and scoring forwards, Charlotte seems to have one of those guys. At 21-years-old Miller has stared down the best defense in the league (New York) and one of the league’s all-time greats (LeBron James) and delivered superstar performances against both of them.

Hornets’ fans, Brandon Miller is the future of the franchise, but he’s also the present. And man, is it a gift to watch the young fella work.