The Charlotte Hornets have continued their aggressive roster reshuffle ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season by agreeing to another significant trade, just days after parting ways with All-Star guard LaMelo Ball.
According to reports, Charlotte will send forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Hornets will receive veteran guards Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, along with a 2033 first-round draft pick.
The move comes only three days after the Hornets reportedly traded Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that brought Naz Reid to Charlotte, signaling a dramatic transformation of the team’s core.
Bridges departs as the franchise’s longest-serving player after spending his entire seven-year NBA career with the Hornets. Selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the 28-year-old established himself as one of Charlotte’s most consistent offensive contributors. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field across 77 games last season. Bridges has also recorded three separate 20-point scoring seasons during his time with the franchise.
Phoenix had previously been linked with the forward before the 2024 trade deadline, but the move materialized two years later as the Suns strengthened their frontcourt with an experienced scorer.
For Charlotte, the return adds two seasoned veterans capable of contributing immediately. Allen arrives after averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals in nearly 29 minutes per game for Phoenix last season. The 30-year-old also provides another reliable perimeter option for a Hornets squad that improved by 24 wins compared to the previous campaign before falling to Orlando in the SoFi Play-In Tournament with the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed at stake.
O’Neale further bolsters Charlotte’s outside shooting. The 33-year-old averaged 9.8 points while connecting on 40.8 percent of his three-point attempts last season. He has shot at least 40 percent from beyond the arc in each of his last two seasons with Phoenix and finished 17th in the NBA in total three-pointers made after knocking down 212 shots from long range.
The latest transaction underlines Charlotte’s determination to reshape its roster, adding experienced role players and future draft assets as the franchise prepares for a new chapter ahead of the 2026-27 season.
