The Charlotte Hornets look like one of the NBA’s potential future contenders this season, with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller proving they can be players who the franchise should build around until they’re a Playoff team. Head coach Charles Lee has already made improvements to the team’s offense, although the overall talent on the roster might hold them back, especially with the still-developing franchise stars.
The Hornets could accelerate their timeline by making a blockbuster trade acquisition and bringing Zion Williamson back to North Carolina in a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. After five seasons of consistent injury struggles and front-office tiffs for Zion in New Orleans, a move to his home state and playing with an elite playmaker like Ball could help rejuvenate his career.
Trade Details
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Miles Bridges, Nick Richards, Tre Mann, 2026 First-Round Pick (CHA), 2027 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2028 First-Round Pick (CHA)
The Pelicans have been playing the waiting game with Zion’s health for years and might as well cash in on his potential to alter how the team plans its future. With an already deep but injured cast of players, additions like Miles Bridges to add perimeter dynamism alongside Nick Richards as a center and Mann as a spark plug could revitalize the Pelicans Playoff hopes.
The Hornets Look To End The Longest Active Playoff Drought
The Hornets haven’t played Playoff basketball since 2016, with these eight years being the longest active Playoff drought in the NBA. While the Hornets could be a contender to make it this year with their current roster through the Play-In Tournament, they aren’t atop any list of contenders. Making this blockbuster move will not only make them Playoff-caliber but set them up for a few years of contention.
Zion Williamson is averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season, but has also picked up the Pelicans injury bug this season with a hamstring injury. The Pelicans medical team need to try and figure out the reason behind all these injuries on their roster, but Zion has become a perennial injured case for them. The Hornets can take this punt with the hopes that their medical staff can lead Zion to different results after he returns from his short-term injury this season.
Ball’s playmaking prowess with Zion as a downhill force and options like Josh Green, Grant Williams, and crucially, Brandon Miller, would make the Hornets a team many fear for the coming seasons. They’re taking a risk with Zion’s health but if it pays off, it’ll be a phenomenal bet that changes their fortunes.
The Pelicans Look For Dependability
The Hornets would make this deal with the hopes of getting a better injury outcome from Zion, but the Pelicans would be incentivized to strike while the iron is hot and rid themselves of Zion for good value to end an up-and-down relationship over the last five seasons. Instead, they get three rotational players who could become major contributors to the franchise.
Amidst their ongoing injury struggles, adding Bridges, Mann, and Richards right now would revitalize the Pelicans. Bridges is averaging 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists this season while Mann is putting up 14.8 points, even taking minutes away from LaMelo for his solid play off the bench. Richards is averaging 11.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks and could be a solid big option for the Pelicans who are already thin in that position.
With Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram healthy, additions like Bridges and Richards to the starting five would still make them a formidable team in the West. The overall depth on the Pelicans is solid as well, as Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jose Alvarado would also get major minutes to create one of the best 10 to 11-man units in the NBA.
A Risky Trade On Both Ends
This trade could easily blow up in the face of either franchise. If Zion ends up working out for the Hornets, the Pelicans will be mocked for moving off him right before he found consistency with his health in the league. The Hornets paying a price of three first-round picks for a talent like Zion would be considered a great value deal, especially if their eight-year Playoff drought actually ends.
Similarly, Zion could just continue struggling to play over 50 games a season and be healthy after February of a season. The Hornets will put themselves in a hole for a few years as they have to deal with no Zion due to injury and owe two of their own draft picks to the Pelicans. Given the cost at stake here, it wouldn’t be easy to shrug it off as a bad deal.
Nonetheless, there’s a chance it could work for both teams if Zion is productive while the Pelicans return to the Playoffs relying on team depth after years of waiting for Williamson to be healthy at the right point in the season.
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