CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are not done reshaping their roster this offseason.
According to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to the Associated Press under the condition of anonymity, Charlotte has reached an agreement to send forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Hornets will receive guard Grayson Allen, forward Royce O’Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick. The deal, first reported by ESPN, still requires official approval from the NBA.
This move follows closely on the heels of Charlotte trading away star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota in a separate deal that netted the Hornets Naz Reid, along with draft picks and pick swaps.
Together, these moves signal a sweeping organizational rebuild in Charlotte — and that’s coming just months after the team won 24 more games than the previous season under second-year head coach Charles Lee. Despite that improvement, the Hornets were eliminated in the play-in round by Orlando.
Bridges, 28, stood 6-foot-7 and was the longest-serving player on Charlotte’s roster. He was originally drafted by the Hornets in the first round in 2018 out of Michigan State. Over seven seasons, he put up averages of 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, connecting on 46.1% of his field goal attempts and 33.8% from three-point range. His career peak came in the 2023-24 season, when he averaged 21 points and 7.3 rebounds while hitting 34.9% of his three-point attempts.
Bridges missed the entire 2022-23 season after facing accusations of domestic abuse. He was arrested in June 2022 — on the eve of free agency — on charges that included felony child abuse and injuring a child’s parent. The NBA required him to sit out while his legal case worked its way through the courts. He ultimately entered a no-contest plea to a felony domestic violence charge in November 2022. The league suspended him for 30 games in April 2023, though he received a 20-game credit for the full season he had already missed.
During his entire time in Charlotte, the team never reached the playoffs.
His departure could open a starting role at power forward for Naz Reid, who is widely regarded as one of the best reserve players in the league.
Allen, 30, is 6-foot-3 and spent three seasons with Phoenix, where he developed into a reliable scorer. Last season, he posted career-best averages of 16.5 points and 3.8 assists per game, though he was limited to just 51 games due to injuries. He is considered one of the better three-point shooters in the league, although his accuracy from long range dipped to 34.9% last season. He will become the third former Duke player currently on Charlotte’s roster.
O’Neale, 33, is a versatile veteran heading into his 10th NBA season. The 6-foot-6 forward spent the last two and a half seasons in Phoenix and set a personal scoring best last season with 9.8 points per game, while shooting nearly 41% from beyond the arc.
