Three Realistic Trade-Up Scenarios for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Draft

A few teams that Charlotte could make a deal with during the draft.

Charlotte Hornet

The Charlotte Hornets have a bevy of options for how to handle the first night of the 2026 NBA Draft, thanks to having two first-round picks. One of those scenarios could involve making a move up the board to take one of the top players in the draft. How high could they climb? Which teams could they strike a deal with?

Here are three possibilities for Jeff Peterson and Co.

No. 7 Sacramento Kings

It's no secret at this point that the Hornets and Kings have been in discussion about a trade, particularly around veteran big man Domantas Sabonis. While Charlotte may want to have the reliability and proven track record of someone like Sabonis, those talks could fall apart if they are unwilling to part with any first-round picks. That could lead the two to a discussion of the Hornets moving up in exchange for No. 14 and 18, and maybe a future second if necessary.

Possible targets at No. 7 for Charlotte: Kingston Flemings, Aday Mara, Brayden Burries

No. 9 Dallas Mavericks

Dallas is in rebuilding mode, and I would think that they're leaning toward trying to build through the draft rather than making big splashy moves for all-star caliber players. They currently don't have a first-round pick in 2027, as it's actually with the Hornets, thanks to the PJ Washington trade a couple of years ago. The Hornets could send that pick back, which isn't likely, or they could package 14 and 18 this year, which could make sense for Dallas since this year's class is considered better and deeper.

Possible targets at No. 9 for Charlotte: Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara

No. 10 Milwaukee Bucks

With Giannis Antetokounmpo likely on the way out, Milwaukee is going to be in full rebuild mode. One can assume they'd rather have two cracks at the plate in this draft, especially when all they'd have to do is move back four spots. That being said, this is probably the least likely of the three because it would be pricey for Charlotte, and at this point in the draft, many of the team's top options would probably still be on the board at 14. One of the two — the first player listed below — would be a pretty aggressive move.

Possible targets at No. 10 for Charlotte: Morez Johnson, Aday Mara

The first round of the NBA Draft is set for June 23rd at 8 p.m. ET.