Only two Hornets remain from the team that made the NBA play-in tournament

The Hornets roster has changed a lot over the years.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If there's one thing that Jeff Peterson has done since taking over as the Hornets general manager, it's been his ability to move players for future assets. After the Hornets moved Cody Martin in a deal that sent him to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, it left just two players on the team that were a part of the 2021-22 Hornets team that made the play-in tournament.

In fact, not just from that roster, but also the 2022-223 team. The two players who remain are LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Bridges is currently the longest-tenured Hornets player on the roster, as he's been a Charlotte Hornet since they drafted him in 2018.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball are the only TWO remaining players from the 2021-2022 Hornets team 😳

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/pVxYmquoBs

— Charlottehornetsonly (@ChaHornetsOnly) February 7, 2025

Players like PJ Washington (Mavericks), Mark Williams (Lakers), Nick Richards (Suns), Gordon Hayward (retired), Bryce McGowens (Trail Blazers), and JT Thor (Cavaliers) have all been waived or traded in the past year. The Hornets have had a complete overhaul of the roster over the past couple of seasons as they try to build a team that can sustain long-term success.

Almost every player that Kupchak drafted or acquired in his tenure is no longer on the roster. The Hornets' new ownership and Jeff Peterson have not accepted mediocrity.

Two aspects of the new management that's become quite clear: Nobody is safe, and they don't accept poor play. Many times in the past, old ownership would hold on to players who were underachieving, which would lead to countless years of struggles and gripes with the same players.

Peterson and Co. seem focused on adding or acquiring new players that embody "Hornets DNA," and if they don't meet that, then there's no fear of making a move.

It will be interesting to see if the trend of off-loading players continues in the future and which players remain moving forward. The Hornets have acquired more younger players recently, like Tidjane Salaün, Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, Dalton Knecht, KJ Simpson, and Josh Green. The question will be, though, how many of those names will be on the roster in a couple of years?

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