What's each Charlotte Hornets starter worth on the trade market?

If the Charlotte Hornets decided to trade LaMelo Ball, they'd undoubtedly bring back a solid haul. There is an injury risk as well as the notion that he can't play or contribute to winning basketball, but those would only ding the return a little bit. His contract is not small, either, but he's still a 20-point scorer, high-level passer, and ticket-seller. Teams want that.

Salary matching would be a challenge in any hypothetical trade, which would affect the package a team sends to Charlotte. However, it's very easy to say that Ball is worth a package of two first-round picks or a young player and a first-round pick, and by young player, I mean rising star-level.

Brandon Miller: Star + Two firsts

Brandon Miller might actually be worth more than Ball right now. This is not an indictment of Ball, because he remains the better player and the franchise face at the moment. That's just not the only factor in a trade. Miller is currently cheaper, has less of an injury history, and he doesn't yet have the "losing basketball" reputation.

Miller is a gifted offensive player with the length to be a decent defender. He's not even 23 yet, and he has two years left of team control at roughly $12 million and then $15 million before entering restricted free agency. That kind of player would absolutely warrant two first-round picks and a player.

Collin Sexton: Role Player

It's genuinely impossible to predict what Kon Knueppel, who I believe will be the third wing starter eventually, would get back on the trade market. He was the fourth overall pick, but he only has a few Summer League games of NBA tape. Collin Sexton is both easier to nail down and far more likely to be traded.

Sexton is still a very good player, but he's not a star. His expiring contract makes him desirable, but it reduces his value. Charlotte got him and a pick for Jusuf Nurkic, but that's not representative of his value. He's probably worth a player, someone of Nurkic's caliber, and a second-round pick, if not two seconds.

Miles Bridges: Role Player + Two seconds

Miles Bridges is not a star player anymore. His efficiency has waned, but he does still provide some scoring and rebounding. He does have two years of control at $25 and $22.8 million left, though. That's not great value, but it could be so much worse. He's also still just 27, so he's not ancient.

Still, Bridges might not be worth that $25 million salary, and he has some off-court baggage that hurts. He's also been slightly but steadily declining the last few seasons, which will tank his value. At this point, Charlotte could probably get two future second-round picks, but nothing more. Adding a player to match salaries might even negatively impact the pick haul.

Moussa Diabate: Role Player + Future second

Moussa Diabate probably does not have very much value around the league. He is a high-motor defensive player who is undersized for a center that doesn't provide much on offense. He has value to the Hornets, but not to too many other teams.

His age and contract are solid, but teams know what they are and are not getting with a player like Diabate, who isn't a rare archetype. If the Hornets did trade Diabate, they'd probably get a singular second-round pick well into the future.

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