Trade Grades: Breaking Down the Hornets' Return for Miles Bridges

Sunday afternoon, the Charlotte Hornets traded away Miles Bridges and a 2029 first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and an unprotected first-round pick in 2033.

How did the Hornets do in this deal? Here are our grades.

Schuyler Callihan: A

Wonderfully done deal here by Jeff Peterson. He addressed two obvious needs in the backup SG and SF spots by shipping out a starter in Miles Bridges, who they didn't have a future for, and gave up a 2029 pick for an unprotected first in 2033. Obviously, fans don't want to push back that first by four years, but because there are no protections on it, it makes all the sense in the world to swap the two. For you Duke fans out there, I'm sure you love this. The entire shooting guard spot is now made up of former Blue Devils — Kon Knueppel, Grayson Allen, and Sion James.

Zach Roberts: B+

At long last, the trade that should've taken place some time ago. Moving on from Miles Bridges has long been the right thing to do, especially as it became apparent that the Hornets were better without him on the floor and that he wasn't capable of being the veteran leader this team needs. This also makes the starting lineup easier to parse, as Naz Reid will slot in for Bridges and keep Moussa Diabatè on the floor. Getting Grayson Allen is a nice move, too. You can never have too much shooting, and he is one of the league’s best. Losing a 2029 first-round pick and getting back a 2033 instead is not ideal, and it implies that the Hornets feel (because of the LaMelo Ball trade bringing back a different 2033 pick) they're not quite close to contention.

Matt Alquiza: A

Charlotte did really well here.

In the immediate, this move allows Naz Reid to slot into the Hornets’ starting frontcourt alongside Moussa Diabate. He’ll bring good position size and an ability to space the floor that will help Charlotte on both ends.

On the pick front, Charlotte traded a protected 2029 pick that is likely to wind up in the 20s for a completely unprotected selection down the line. This is a good piece of business for the Hornets.

Owen O'Connor: A-

The NBA’s best starting five by net rating has now lost two of its pieces, but the weakest link of the bunch is now gone.

This is a fantastic trade for the Hornets, who move past the post-Kemba, final-MJ year roster and move forward with Brandon Miller as their longest-tenured player.

In dealing Bridges, the Hornets free up the starting four spot, which will presumably be taken by Naz Reid. They also add to excellent bench pieces on Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen, both being under contract for the next 2 seasons. They also added a third draft pick in 2033, a clear sign that while the franchise was happy with how they performed this season, the goal is still to wait things out a few years.

It's a clear sign of the times in Charlotte, and I'm interested to see what Jeff Peterson’s next move will be.

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