Hornets mock trade: Charlotte moves on from recently acquired veteran swingman

Matt Alquiza | Dec 30, 2024

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Josh Green has been through it in the last six months. From the euphoria of reaching his first NBA Finals to the uncertainty of being traded to the Charlotte Hornets with a multi-week expedition through France with the Australian National Team sandwiched between those events, Green has experienced every emotion depicted in 'Inside Out' and it's sequel since June.

His fit in Charlotte has been clunky at best. Pegged as a connective wing to slot nicely into the Hornets preferred starting five of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams, Green was brought in to serve a specific purpose: run in transition, knock down open jumpers, and guard imposing opposing wings.

However, due to a rash of injuries, Green has been forced to supplement Charlotte's offense and carry it's perimeter defense, extending him outside of his clearly established comfort zone.

At times, Green has been fantastic. His on-ball playmaking has taken a leap and his streaky jumper has come through in clutch moments. Other times, Green has been invisble on the court, completely overshadowed by Charlotte's stars and the other wing he competes for minutes with, Cody Martin.

Josh Green's value across the league is hard to pin down, but if Charlotte decided to rip their supporting cast down to the studs before the deadline, they would undoubtedly receive calls on 24-year-old two-way role player.

Here is a potential trade if the Hornets and Green desire a fresh start.

Trade: Josh Green joins Steph Curry in the Bay

Josh Green heads to Golden State for expiring contracts and picks

Fanspo Trade Machine

This may be asking too much in return from Golden State, but the deal would help both sides. The Warriors get an upgrade over two players in the back half of their rotation, and Charlotte gets some future salary cap relief and a couple of second round picks to add to their collection.

Josh Green has started on an NBA Finals team, and his experience on the wing would be valuable for Steve Kerr who needs to shorten his rotation come playoff time.

The Hornets are projected to be over the salary cap in 2025-26, and moving off of Green's $13 million annual salary for a pair of expiring contracts will allow Jeff Peterson and company to be more flexible next summer.