Charlotte Hornets Received Calls on 'Every Piece of the Core' at the Trade Deadline

Jeff Peterson declined anything that had to do with the top players on the Hornets' roster.

Feb 2, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA;Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) and forward Brandon Miller (24) high five during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It took longer than anyone wanted, but the Charlotte Hornets are finally healthy, and we're starting to see why fans were right to have such high hopes for this young core.

After last night's win over the Houston Rockets on the road, the Bugs have won eight straight games, which marks the organization's longest winning streak since 1999. Not a single piece of the "big three" was born yet, and Miles Bridges was just a year old at the time. It's been that long.

When most people think about the Hornets' core, they assume you're talking solely about LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel. The front office would extend that to veteran forward Miles Bridges as well. He's a key piece to their success, reliable, durable, and has a strong voice in the locker room.

Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson told reporters on Thursday that there was interest in every single one of those players at the trade deadline.

Feb 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts after a basket against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

“I got calls on every piece of the core. But this group, they earned the right to see it through," Peterson stated. "The way they’ve been playing, and not just these past seven, eight games, but even a little bit before Christmas…just the continuity and the fact that we’ve been pretty healthy has helped everyone see exactly what this group can be. This group has earned to see what it looks like the rest of this season and into the postseason. Didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.”

Earlier in the year, there was a report that surfaced that LaMelo Ball had requested a trade, which he quickly dismissed. From that moment up until about a month ago, everyone around the league still thought it would be best for Ball to start fresh elsewhere. Now that they've seen this group play the way it has, that tune has changed from the national media.

The reality is, the Hornets were never looking to move Ball. Peterson was never going to make a move that bold before truly finding out what this young core could do when it's healthy. To his credit, he stayed patient and didn't view this as an opportunity to ship the elite guard out while his value is at an all-time high.

Peterson is spot on. This group has earned that opportunity to see this through. A strong finish to the 2025-26 season could prompt the front office to make a big move this summer to push them into contender mode — something no one thought would be possible this early.

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