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Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled ‘hotspot’ for trade talks in Round 2
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- Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled ‘hotspot’ for trade talks in Round 2
The post Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled 'hotspot' for trade talks in Round 2 appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Charlotte Hornets enter the second night of the 2025 NBA Draft as a focal point for potential trade activity, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. With back-to-back selections at Nos. 33 and 34 overall, the Hornets are reportedly drawing significant attention from teams exploring deals ahead of Thursday night's second round.
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Givony labeled Charlotte "a hotspot for trade talks," citing uncertainty over whether the Hornets are interested in adding additional rookies to a roster that already includes multiple young players. Charlotte opened the draft by selecting Duke guard Kon Knueppel with the No. 4 overall pick . Later in the night, the Hornets traded center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the No. 29 pick — used to select UConn forward Liam McNeeley — and a 2029 first-round selection.
Hornets hold picks 33 and 34 in 2025 NBA Draft as trade buzz builds amid frontcourt needs
"The Hornets, with pick Nos. 33 and 34, will surely be a hotspot for trade talks throughout the day after adding two first-round picks to their roster in Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley," Givony wrote. "Already sporting a fairly young roster, it's not clear what Charlotte's appetite will be for adding one or two more rookies."
With Williams no longer in the frontcourt rotation, Charlotte is believed to be considering size with one of its remaining second-round picks. Givony noted that 7-foot prospects Maxime Raynaud and Ryan Kalkbrenner remain available, while versatile forwards such as Rasheer Fleming and Adou Thiero could also be in play.
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The Hornets' recent moves signal an ongoing reshaping of the roster under executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. Whether Charlotte retains both second-round picks or uses them to facilitate a trade remains to be seen, but the team's activity has drawn league-wide attention.
The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft resumes Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York, and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Related: Hornets' Kon Knueppel asked weird questions about Duke after going No. 4
Related: Lakers fans react to Suns' wild Mark Williams trade after previous fail
