Buy or Sell: Analyzing key Hornets players' stock heading into offseason

There are only a handful of games left in the 2024-25 season for the Charlotte Hornets, a season that has been, for a variety of reasons, an unmitigated disaster. The promise of health and a potential run at a playoff spot in the weak East were tarnished early on and the health has never really been there.

That said, it is almost over now. That makes it a good time to take stock in what, or who, the Hornets have on the roster. The rebuild is in an interesting place, and the front office has some decisions to make, especially whether they buy or sell a certain player's offering.

Buy or Sell: Jusuf Nurkic

Buy for the time being. The Hornets did really well in flipping Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic into a first-round pick and a starting center. It was a great return when they didn't have Mark Williams, but then they got him back. Still, Nurkic has been a good player for the Hornets, posting the sixth-best defensive rating (among players with 21 games played). He also has the second-best rebound percentage.

He hasn't played well on offense, but he's been more than serviceable. The Hornets could definitely move off of him, but with some other question marks down low, it's worth buying for now. They should probably hold him this summer unless they get a great offer, but he would be a perfect trade candidate at next year's trade deadline.

Buy or Sell: Mark Williams

Buy. Again, the same caveat for Nurkic applies here. If the Hornets get a good offer, like the one they would've had if the Los Angeles Lakers hadn't backed out of the deal, they should absolutely take it. Williams is good but he doesn't look like a future franchise face.

That said, he's playing extremely well this year and could be a key part of the Hornets' future. There are reports that they'll try to trade him this summer when the trade window opens, but he's shown enough to warrant not doing that yet. He is in the same age range as LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, so as long as they're the core, Williams is worth keeping around.

Buy or Sell: Miles Bridges

Sell. As injuries have mounted around him, Miles Bridges is quietly having a really good end of season. He averaged almost 23 points per game in March and shot well overall. He also added nearly eight rebounds and just under five assists per game. He looked like the guy the Hornets signed to a $75 million deal.

But that deal is why it has to be a sale for the Hornets. Bridges is 27 years old now, so he's four years older than the rest of the core Hornets. As they continue to build toward a future where Bridges only gets older and older, it's clear he doesn't fit the timeline. The good news is that he is good enough and has certainly been playing well enough to warrant someone taking the $25 million salary and for the Hornets to get something decent in return.

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