Former NBA star believes Hornets have 'decent' core they should keep together

The Charlotte Hornets' core currently consists of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel. One could make an argument that Miles Bridges is in there, too, but he's older and less tied down, and it's far more likely he doesn't make the end of his contract than gets an extension.

There has been a ton of discussion about that core. Should the Hornets keep the trio together? Should they trade Ball and build around Knueppel and Miller? Are Miller and Ball both expendable?

🎙️ @boogiecousins: "You keep that group together: LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges... you get a decent big man, that's a nice group in the East." 🤔

The @RunItBackFDTV crew discusses the face of the Charlotte Hornets franchise: pic.twitter.com/sXpNJANaOm
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) December 16, 2025

These are all questions that have been lobbied, but former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins thinks the Hornets shouldn't change anything. It's a rare "trade nobody" sentiment from someone in NBA media.

"I think you keep that group together. You get LaMelo Ball, Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges? Find you a nice big man to go with that group... that's a nice group in the East," he said.

He stopped short of saying he'd want to be the team's GM, but he's in favor of keeping the core tenets of the roster together.

His co-hosts, Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams, brought up the fact that the Hornets had a decent big man but traded him, of course, referring to Mark Williams.

Dec 14, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) shoots in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

However, with Williams, that roster wasn't doing a whole lot of successful things. Maybe a Williams, Ball, Miller, Bridges, and Knueppel lineup would've worked, but given how injured Williams was and how solid Ryan Kalkbrenner has been, it's hard to fault the Hornets for making that move.

And it's not clear if Kalkbrenner can be that "decent big" that Cousins wants to see in Charlotte. He probably isn't, given that he's a serviceable and somewhat dependable player who just isn't spectacular.

He's not necessarily a needle-mover, at least not yet. Will the Hornets abandon his development to get someone that fits with what Cousins sees? Probably not, so it might take some time for this group to become a solid unit in the East.

Regardless, Cousins can see the makings of something better, and it doesn't involve moving on from anyone, not Bridges, not Ball, or anyone else.

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