The Charlotte Hornets were originally expected to be sellers at the upcoming Feb. 5 trade deadline, but since their recent success, some things may have changed.
Charlotte has now won seven consecutive games, coming back from a 22-point deficit Monday to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans.
As a result, the starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate is now an incredible 13-1 in 14 games as a unit.
With the streak, Charlotte has moved to 11th place in the Eastern Conference and trail the Atlanta Hawks by just one game for the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, played between seeds 8-10.
Given their success, there's a chance that Charlotte could end up buyers at the deadline. While selling on an expiring contract like Collin Sexton or trading away veterans such as Grant Williams or Josh Green wouldn't be bad moves long-term, they weaken Charlotte's depth and could halt their progress this season.
That said, according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Hornets could be after reinforcements instead. The duo reported that the Hornets have been linked to acquiring Lonzo Ball from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This of course, would reunite Ball with his younger brother LaMelo, who has spent his entire career with the Hornets. Ironically, their third brother, LiAngelo Ball made 14 appearances for Charlotte's G-League affiliate (Greensboro Swarm) in the 2022-23 season.
After Cleveland traded for guards Dennis Schroeder and Keon Ellis last week, Lonzo is more likely to be shopped.
Although the Hornets have rest days Tuesday and Wednesday before their next game against the Houston Rockets, their front office is certain to be at work prior to Thursday's trade deadline.
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