3 Veteran Guards the Charlotte Hornets Could Target With Their $40M Traded Player Exception

The Charlotte Hornets don't need be in a rush to use the $40.6M traded player exception that they are set to receive when the LaMelo Ball trade gets processed by the league.

Assuming the trade gets finalized on July 6th, the Hornets have one calendar year to utilize the exception, meaning it can burn a hole in their pocket until the trade deadline, or at any point before the league calendar flips to 2027-28.

But what if they do utilize it this summer? If they do, I'd expect them to target a guard in order to ease the early burden on rookie sharpshooter Christian Anderson Jr. If the Hornets do go that route, there are a few options on the table for Jeff Peterson to consider.

Immanuel Quickley - Toronto Raptors

Quickley is due $32.5M per year for the next three years, and that albatross of a contract has made it difficult for Toronto to build a contending roster around budding superstar Scottie Barnes. He is vastly overpaid for his on-court impact, but there is an argument to be made that Quickley could thrive as a bench specialist in a different situation.

He is a talented offensive player who maximizes his impact by firing away from deep and hitting them at an above-average clip, storming to the rim with his lightning-quick first step, and providing adequate playmaking skills while suppressing turnovers. He is a high-volume pull-up three-point shooter that could make up for some of the gravity-bending skills that left Charlotte when Ball got dealt to Minnesota.

Toronto would need to compensate Charlotte handsomely if they wind up absorbing the $97.5M he's due over the next three years into their TPE. The Raptors own all of their first-round picks going forward, and I could see the Hornets securing a protected first-round pick in this deal for their troubles.

However, with how much Jeff Peterson and company have valued financial flexibility, I don't think a Quickley trade is a realistic use of the TPE. If the veteran point guard only had two years left on his deal and would become an expiring asset next summer, aligning his deal with the recently acquired Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen? I think Charlotte would be all over this -- the third year on Quickley's deal is probably too limiting, though.

Dejounte Murray - New Orleans Pelicans

Murray is one of my favorite trade targets on the board.

After spending nearly 18 months rehabilitating an Achillies injury, Murray looked pretty solid in a handful of games with New Orleans down the stretch of the 2026 season. He would provide Charlotte's perimeter-oriented, defensively-deficient back court some much-needed rim pressure and defensive event creation.

While Murray isn't much of a threat from beyond the arc, his frame and game are malleable enough to play alongside any guard currently on the Hornets' roster. If Charlotte is interested in pushing for the playoffs next year (I don't think they are), Murray would be the ideal player to add to their back court.

Additionally, like Allen and O'Neale, Murray only has two years left on his deal, and his contract would become super valuable in the summer of 2027 when it becomes an expiring one.

Fred VanVleet - Houston Rockets

A deal for VanVleet could have some interesting permutations for Charlotte.

Could the Hornets covet Tari Eason and acquire him in a sign-and-trade along with the veteran point guard? I'd imagine the Rockets would have some level of interest in Grayson Allen or Royce O'Neale as versatile floor-spacing bench options. The Hornets would likely need to add some draft capital to acquire Eason in a sign-and-trade, but he does check some boxes (re: defense) for the current iteration of this Charlotte squad.

Still only 25-years-old, Eason is your prototypical three-and-D (emphasis on the D) wing that can impact games without dominating the ball.

That specific scenario is unlikely, though, but that doesn't mean Charlotte wouldn't find VanVleet's skillset useful. A former NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, VanVleet represents the type of steady, culture-setting veteran guard that every young team needs.

In his prime, VanVleet was an undersized three-point bomber who rarely turned the ball over and made his bones on defense with dogged effort that translated to above-average event creation for a 6-foot guard -- can you think of a better mentor for Christian Anderson Jr.?

VanVleet is in the final-year of a contract that pays him $25M this season, making this a low-risk move for the Hornets. They could bring VanVleet in, play him early in the season while bringing along Anderson slowly, and then slowly phase him out as Anderson gets acclimated to the size and speed of the NBA before he hits free agency next summer to secure another payday elsewhere.

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