Who are the untradable players on the Charlotte Hornets' roster?

The Charlotte Hornets might make a lot of trades.
Dec 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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At 7-25, it's time for the Charlotte Hornets to consider tearing it down. This year is likely all but finished, so they need to begin preparing for the future. With a few pieces they can build around, the Hornets may opt to have a firesale. If they do, there are only a few truly untouchable players in the building.

Analyzing which Hornets will absolutely not be traded

The first and probably most untradable player is Brandon Miller. Of all the players on the roster, there is pretty much no scenario where he gets traded. He's only in his second year and is blossoming into a star. The contract situation, his age, and his talent imply that he above all others will remain a Hornet for a long time.

The second-most untradable player is probably LaMelo Ball. The national media would like to see Ball traded, and others believe he's not as good as his stats imply since the Hornets are one of the worst teams in the East. His contract makes him a more likely candidate to be traded than Miller, though.

Since he's on an extension, he's more costly to the Hornets. There are so many media personnel who believe the Hornets would be better off trading him and building around Miller. The Hornets are almost assuredly not going to do that, but the chatter is there for the injury-prone 2020 first-round pick.

Finally, the last of the truly untradable players is Mark Williams. He is still on his rookie contract and is rounding back into form. He has shown flashes of being a truly special player, so the Hornets won't move on from him.

One of those flashes came last time out on a perfect shooting night with a 20-point double-double. He's a free agent after next year, so they may consider trading him later if things continue trending downward. For now, there's zero reason for the Hornets to even listen to an offer.

Tidjane Salaün is a wild card in this conversation. Since he's just 19 and in his first season, it would be a shock to see the Hornets trade him. However, his age and contract make him an intriguing option if the Hornets decide they don't like what they see from him. At times, he looks like a key piece of the puzzle. In others, he looks totally lost and very much like a 19-year-old rookie.

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