The 76ers want two Hornets players. Not stars, not franchise cornerstones — but two rotation pieces that Philadelphia has specifically identified as fits for what they are building around Tyrese Maxey , Jaylen Brown and LeBron James .
Ryan Kalkbrenner and Dennis Schroder are the names, and the conversation around both of them tells you something interesting about where Charlotte stands heading into the season. Not every trade has to be a blockbuster. Sometimes the small ones reveal the most.
Philadelphia let Andre Drummond walk without a fight this summer and signed Ariel Hukporti to compete for the primary backup center role behind Joel Embiid . The Sixers also dumped Johni Broome in a trade to create space. If Hukporti and Adem Bona do not work out — and there is no guarantee they will — Kalkbrenner becomes exactly the kind of affordable, size-and-shot-blocking option a front office calls about quietly in November.
Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during the 2026 NBA Playoffs play-in rounds at Kia Center. Photo Credit: Mike Watters, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
At $2.4 million for the season, Kalkbrenner is one of the most affordable big men in the league relative to what he provides. He stands 7-foot-1, averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season, shot 75.3% from the field, and brought 5.5 rebounds per game in limited minutes. He is not a stretch five and will not create offense, but as a rim-protecting backup who costs nothing and does not demand the ball, he fits the Sixers' template perfectly.
From Charlotte's side, the question is whether parting with him makes sense. Hannes Steinbach is the long-term frontcourt answer, but he is 19 years old and still finding his footing at the professional level. The Hornets also don't have much frontcourt depth behind starters Moussa Diabate , Naz Reid and Steinbach. Kalkbrenner is the only other true center with rim-protection ability on the roster. Trading him leaves a gap that nobody else currently fills.
The $2.4 million price tag also means he essentially costs nothing to keep — making the bar to trade him higher than the number suggests.
If Philadelphia offers Jabari Walker — a 23-year-old forward with legitimate two-way upside — or Justin Edwards for Kalkbrenner, the conversation changes. Charlotte gets a young piece with real developmental ceiling. Philly gets their backup center. Both teams solve a specific problem without overpaying. That version of the deal is worth picking up the phone for.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) dribbles against the New York Knicks during the second quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Schroder is the more complicated conversation. Philadelphia wants insurance behind Maxey in case Labaron Philon Jr . is not ready for a playoff run — and Schroder, with 13 NBA seasons and playoff experience across multiple franchises, fits that profile. His 2025 postseason run with Detroit — 12.5 points, 49.1% from the field, 47.6% from three, 3.7 assists to 1.2 turnovers per game — is the version of him that makes contenders take notice.
But Charlotte signed Schroder specifically to solve their own backup point guard problem. When Coby White sits, Schroder runs the offense. That role exists because the Summer League losses to New Orleans painfully exposed what Charlotte looks like without a real ball-handler managing the second unit.
Trading him means going back to Christian Anderson — a rookie still finding his professional footing — as the primary backup. Schroder's $14.8 million salary also makes the trade math complicated for Philadelphia, which would almost certainly need to move Anfernee Simons and additional pieces to make it work.
Unless Philadelphia sends back a piece that directly addresses Charlotte's needs, the Schroder trade does not make sense for this roster right now. He is not just a veteran contract. He is a functional part of a rotation that Charlotte has not yet fully tested.
The 76ers' potential interest in two Hornets players is not the most dramatic trade story of the offseason — but it is a useful reminder that Charlotte has assets other teams value, even beyond the obvious names. Kalkbrenner is a bargain that almost any team would take.
Schroder is a veteran who has proven he can perform in postseason situations. Both have real market value. Whether Jeff Peterson picks up the phone depends on what comes back — and right now, the bar needs to be higher than what Philadelphia has publicly floated. Charlotte is not a parts depot. They are building something. Every trade has to make that something better, not just lighter.
Do you think Charlotte should trade Kalkbrenner, Schroder, both, or neither? Let us know in the comments.
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Photo Credit: Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
