The Charlotte Hornets are just a day away from the 2026 NBA Draft, where they will have both the number 14 and number 18 overall picks. The Hornets are coming off a strong 2026 season that saw them surge up the standings and make it to the NBA play-in tournament, where they ultimately bowed out to the Orlando Magic.
Recently, ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel reported on a name that Charlotte is likely to consider trading this summer: power forward Miles Bridges.
“Bridges is entering the final year of his contract at $22.8 million, and there is a growing belief among league personnel that he will be traded this summer. That speculation will only rise if the Hornets make two selections with the No. 14 and No. 18 picks, one of which will very likely be a forward, which would likely be a long-term replacement for the 28-year-old,” reported Siegel on ClutchPoints.
Bridges remains a talented forward with elite athleticism, a solid outside shooting touch, and reasonable, if at times inconsistent, defense. However, he has sometimes been viewed as an “empty calories” offensive player who doesn’t exactly fit into a team-building model very cleanly, and now that the Hornets have a clear vision for their future, thanks in large part to the emergence of youngsters Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, it seems the team is content to find a long-term replacement for Bridges at the four.
It will be interesting to see what kind of return package the Hornets could get for Bridges, who has also had off-court concerns in addition to his sometimes frustrating, sometimes captivating style of play on the hardwood.
In any case, the NBA Draft is slated to get underway on June 23 from Brooklyn.
The post Hornets rumors: The player who’s expected to be traded this offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.
