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The Charlotte Hornets are one of the more interesting teams across the NBA landscape. While they aren't very good, the roster does boast some strong talent on it.
The Hornets have a nice young core on the team but they are still a little away from truly contending for a playoff spot. But Charlotte believes that another season or two could be the timeline for them to get back to the playoffs.
In this new trade idea, the Hornets make a deal to land a former first-overall pick to add to their young core. The deal would be between the Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Indiana Pacers, landing Deandre Ayton in Charlotte.
After using the Spotrac trade machine, here is what a deal could look like between the teams:
Hornets receive: Deandre Ayton, a 2028 second-round draft pick, and a 2029 second-round draft pick
Pacers receive: Cody Martin and Robert Williams III
Trail Blazers receive: Grant Williams, Vasilije Micic, Obi Toppin, Isaiah Jackson, and a 2025 first-round draft pick
Why Hornets do this
Charlotte is one of the worst teams in the NBA but they have a core in place to win long term. Under new head coach Charles Lee, the Hornets are fully looking toward the future but are missing the big man in the middle.
Ayton could fill that role, giving Charlotte a legitimate center. Pairing him with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller could be a nice trio for the Hornets.
Additionally, Charlotte has Miles Bridges on the roster, giving them even more firepower. Ayton is only under contract until after next season so this would be a short-term experiment to see if he could fit in with this team.
Why Pacers do this
Indiana has been looking to make an upgrade this season as they continue to push forward in the Eastern Conference. Adding a talent like Williams III to the frontcourt could massively help them throughout the postseason.
While there are injury concerns for him, when healthy, he is among the best energy players that the league has to offer. Pairing him with Myles Turner could give Indiana a strong duo and opposing teams wouldn't be able to bully them.
Martin comes in as a replacement for Toppin, giving them someone else who can shoot 3-pointers. Trading three picks in this deal is a large amount but the price may be worth the return.
Why Trail Blazers do this
Portland has a plethora of bigs to work with and Ayton has seemed to be the odd man out. The Trail Blazers want to start building for the future and Ayton isn't likely to be part of their long-term plans.
The team has already been rumored to be trying to trade him and thus would be a nice haul for him. But the biggest piece to this for Portland is losing Williams III.
The team loves him but they get a strong wing piece in Toppin. They also land an extra first-round draft pick in the 2025 class, giving them some extra ammo.
More NBA news:
Blockbuster Trade Proposal Has Pacers Landing Highly Coveted Center
Rockets Bolster Frontcourt by Acquiring $48 Million Center in Massive Trade Proposal
Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sees Two West Teams Exchange All-Stars
For more NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
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About the writer
Matt Levine works as a contributing writer for Newsweek based in California. His expertise is in covering the NBA but ... Read more