Three players the Hornets could look to make a trade for at the trade deadline

All three just became available to be traded today.

Charlotte Hornet

There have been two trades in the NBA since August 7th, with neither including impactful pieces.

Despite the non-stop rumors in the league surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and LaMelo Ball, trade season has yet to pick up in the NBA; however, things may change soon.

December 15th marks the first day of the 2025-26 NBA calendar, where recently signed free agents are now trade-eligible. Several big names, such as James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Julius Randle, and Damian Lillard, have all become trade eligible, and last season's trade deadline told us that EVERYBODY is available.

The 8-18 Charlotte Hornets have yet to show on the court whether or not they will be buyers or sellers at the 2026 trade deadline, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel only playing eight (4-4) games together.

There are some interesting names that have become available, though, who could interest the Hornets for both the now and the future. It's difficult to imagine them bringing in older veterans to potentially make a play-in push, but there are names that could help them win more games now and down the line.

Day'Ron Sharpe

Dec 1, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) hangs on the rim after a dunk against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) and guard Sion James (4) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson has familiarity with Day'Ron Sharpe and Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks, as he was Assistant General Manager when the Nets selected Sharpe in 2021.

It was a slow start to Sharpe's season, who is coming off a fantastic 2024-25 season with the Nets. The team re-signed him to a two-year deal, and the Nets could look to move on to open up minutes for rookie Danny Wolf.

Jake LaRavia

Nov 10, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake Laravia (12) is guarded by Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

It's been an underwhelming start to Jake LaRavia's time as a Los Angeles Laker. While he's averaging a career-high in minutes, steals, and blocks, LaRavia's field goal and three-point percentage are down from last season. It's unlikely the Lakers will move off of him already, but if they do, the Hornets should take a look.

There are two reasons why the Hornets should maybe avoid the wing, though. For one, he is essentially who they want Liam McNeeley to be, which can cause some redundancy from a roster-building standpoint. The other is that Rob Pelinka might avoid doing business with the Hornets after last season's trade deadline.

Gary Trent Jr

Dec 14, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. (5) reacts after making a shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Gary Trent Jr. is never going to be the 17-18 point per game guy he once was, but that does not mean the Hornets should look the other way on him.

It's no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks may be headed towards a fire sale. They are 11-16, with no promising young talent, and if you take Giannis off their roster, they may be headed towards the top of the lottery.

The Hornets could add Trent's three point shooting to their bench, and continue to load up on shooters around their top three of Ball, Miller, and Knueppel.

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