By admin 
CHARLOTTE (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Three days after trading star point guard LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have reportedly traded another core part of their roster.
Read more Play is underway in ideal conditions on the opening day of Wimbledon
According to ESPN, the Hornets traded Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Hornets will reportedly receive former Duke guard Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick.
Bridges was entering the third year of a three-year, $75 million extension. In seven seasons with Charlotte, Bridges averaged 15.9 points per game and was a mainstay in the rotation. He played in at least 64 games in his last four seasons.
Bridges played in 501 games in Buzz City, 4th-most all-time behind franchise legends Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues, and Kemba Walker.
The Hornets, fresh off of a two-month stretch where they dominated the NBA amid coming up short in the Play-In Tournament, will enter next season with two different members of their starting five.
Read more Jury selection begins in trial of man accused in deadly I-40 road rage shooting in Wake County
Allen, entering his ninth year in the league from Duke, is a three-point shooting guard. He’s a career 40% shooter from beyond the arc, with his best season in 2023-24 when he led the NBA in three-point percentage (46.1%).
O’Neale is entering his 10th NBA season after spending the last three in Phoenix. This past season, he started 67 games, the third-most in a season in his career. In that season, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. O’Neale is a very durable player, playing at least 70 games in every season except his rookie year, when he played 69 (in his second year, he played all 82).
The Hornets are now roughly $50 million under the luxury tax while adding two unprotected first-round picks in 2033. NBA free agency negotiations can officially start at 6 p.m. on June 30.