It is draft day in the NBA, and rumors are beginning to pile up around the league. Multiple trades went down on Monday, leading to Giannis Antetokounmpo getting dealt to the Miami Heat and Julius Randle getting moved to the Brooklyn Nets.
These deals involved players who have already made a name for themselves in the league. However, there’s expected to be much more regarding the 2026 draft class. The Charlotte Hornets own the No. 14 and No. 18 picks on Tuesday night. This may change, as Charlotte has expressed interest in moving up.
“The Warriors have talked with the Charlotte Hornets about the possibility of swapping draft picks, with Golden State’s No. 11 pick going to Charlotte for Nos. 14 and 18, contingent on certain players being on the board,” Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported.
“Charlotte has signaled a willingness to move up in the draft, seemingly to leapfrog Oklahoma City, and executives across the league are wondering which player the Hornets could be targeting.”
Scotto added that Charlotte is in a hurry to move ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The New Orleans Pelicans have also expressed interest in Golden State’s No. 11 pick.
Who Could the Hornets be Targeting in a Potential Trade With the Warriors?
The Charlotte Hornets are believed to have an interest in selecting a big man at some point in the first round, per Jake Fischer of the SteinLine. If a deal with the Warriors for the No. 11 pick takes place, this could be the only player selected by the Hornets.
Two top big man prospects for Charlotte are Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach. The top four players selected on Tuesday are set in stone. Outside of that, there’s a sense of uncertainty about how the rest of it may play out.
Johnson, listed at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, is 20 years old and provides interior strength to teams lacking it. Johnson helped lead Michigan to a national championship in 2026 while averaging 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on 62.3/34.3/78.2 shooting splits.
Steinbach, listed at 6-foot-10, and 248 pounds. The 20-year-old was the do-it-all for a Huskies program that just missed the .500 mark in 2025-26.
In 30 games, Steinbach led the nation in rebounds per game (11.8) while adding 18.5 points, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals on 57.7/34.0/75.9 shooting splits.
Miles Bridges Labeled as a Potential Trade Candidate for Hornets
There are multiple players that the Hornets are willing to add in a draft-day trade, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
The insider mentioned Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, and Grant Williams as players on trade watch.
Miles Bridges may be the top name that franchises are most interested in, though. He enters the final year of his contract in 2026-27 and will earn $22.82 million, per Spotrac.
Aside from serving a suspension for the entire 2022-23 season, Bridges has consistently provided reliability for Charlotte. He posts career averages of 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 46.0/33.3/82.2 shooting splits.
Charlotte has not decided whether to trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft. Tuesday night will answer that question.
Hornets Express Interest in Trading Up in 2026 NBA Draft: Report