Timing is everything: When should Jeff Peterson try to land a big fish for Hornets?

The Charlotte Hornets aren't a franchise that is considered a free agent destination. Improving the team mainly comes through the draft and trades, something they did well this offseason.

Charlotte doesn't have a track record of making big swings in the trade market, however. In fact, they hardly make any moves to try to grab either a superstar or even a star player.

Jeff Peterson and his predecessor Mitch Kupchak have mainly dealt with a banged-up roster, which has led to picking high in the lottery in recent years. Now that they have some intriguing young building blocks, the question becomes, when will he take a big swing?

Figuring out the timeline of a big Hornets trade

Hornets VP of Basketball Ops Jeff Peterson - Charlotte Hornet

Taking a look at some other small-market teams around the league, the ones who compete year in and year out have taken some chances on big trades.

The Bucks won the title back in the 2021 season in part because they traded for Jrue Holiday. They tried again by trading for Damian Lillard before the 2023-24 season, but that didn't have the same effect.

In the last couple of years, the Indiana Pacers have been the perfect example of this working. They traded Domantas Sabonis for Tyrese Haliburton to give them a new player to center the franchise around.

Last year, the Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam. That trade elevated the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons, plus one trip to the Finals.

Peterson has seen these kinds of trades work, so he has to be thinking about making a similar swing. The issue is that he has to wait and see what kind of player LaMelo Ball is going to be.

LaMelo Ball has to prove he can stay healthy before the Hornets make a big trade

Mar 12, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) warms up on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Before Peterson takes that big swing, he has to be sure that Ball can be counted on to actually be available to play in games and play at a high level.

With how many games Ball has missed over the last few years, taking a big swing wouldn't make sense if they find out they can't count on him as a franchise centerpiece.

Once Ball's future is determined, Peterson can start looking around the league for a star player who doesn't mind being in Charlotte. Preferably, he would go after someone who has a lot of years left on his deal.

If he can stay on the court for 55+ games this season, perhaps next summer is when Peterson cashes in.

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