Here's the one Hornets player who could be a surprise trade piece

Josh Green wouldn't be traded, would he?

Jan 27, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) during pregame warm ups against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

If the Charlotte Hornets pull off another trade beyond the Nick Richards deal, it will probably include Cody Martin or Vasilije Micic. Seth Curry wouldn't be a shocker. Miles Bridges, while very unlikely, wouldn't be totally out of the blue, either.

Assuming LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams are off-limits, that leaves quite a few names who could theoretically find themselves on a new team in the next week. The most surprising name would be Josh Green.

Josh Green would be a shocking but not impossible trade candidate

Josh Green was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks this summer. He hasn't been spectacular in his first season as a Hornet, but he's probably not getting traded. It's not impossible to imagine, though.

He's still pretty young at 24. He's one year older than LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, so it's not like he's aged himself out of the window. That's not the case for Bridges and other rotational pieces. As mentioned, Green has played almost every game this season. That's not true for any other starter, so it would be a shock to see the one consistently healthy starter traded away.

Green is also under contract. He's got two more years of team control at about $13.67 million per year. That might be a tad steep for a player averaging 7.4 points as a starter, but it's far from a salary the Hornets will feel they have to get out from under.

That's not to say that Green can't be traded. He's been in trade rumors before, and he would likely have as much if not more value on the trade market than anyone else Charlotte will trade. He'd probably bring back more than Vasilije Micic, but the reasons above make him unlikely and therefore would be a surprise trade candidate.

With Ball and Miller out, and Miller not coming back this year, the Hornets should have eyes on the future. Green likely figures into that, but if a team called and asked about him, the Hornets would be foolish not to listen.

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