NBA Mock Trade: Hornets, Clippers link up for five-player deal

The Hornets and Clippers swap a lot of players in this mock trade.
Jan 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) reacts after a call by an official during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) reacts after a call by an official during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
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The Charlotte Hornets are likely to pull off one more trade before the NBA Trade Deadline. They have several possible candidates, but a fire sale remains unlikely. The Los Angeles Clippers are slowly starting to get healthier and can make a run in the Western Conference. To aid in that pursuit, Los Angeles should call the Hornets up.

Hornets, Clippers link up in NBA mock trade

The Clippers have gotten healthier in the frontcourt. Every NBA contender can always use shooting and guard depth, though. That's exactly what the Hornets can provide the Clippers with in the form of Seth Curry and Vasilije Micic.

With LaMelo Ball out, the guard rotation is thin, so this probably only happens under the caveat that Ball is not going to miss the entire rest of the season. In that case, Micic, Curry, and Taj Gibson head to LA. In return, Mo Bamba, PJ Tucker, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2030 second-round pick come to Charlotte.

The Clippers get veterans in the backcourt. One of them, Curry, remains a sharpshooter off the bench, an ideal thing for a playoff team to add at the deadline. Micic is a strong defender and passer, which is another useful thing to have coming off the bench.

Vasilije Micic
Jan 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) controls the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Taj Gibson is a throw-in to make sure this trade doesn't deplete the Clippers' frontcourt. Neither Bamba nor Tucker are major rotational players for the Clippers now anyway, but they need to have a healthy body there and Gibson isn't doing a ton for Charlotte.

The Hornets get a young center that fans used to clamor for the front office to add in Bamba. He's an expiring contract, so this would be an audition of sorts. Tucker is also an expiring contract, and he'd be a prime buyout candidate. It frees up a lot of financial space for the Hornets and adds two second-round picks to their growing draft capital.

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