🏀 ESPN.com — NBA Insider Report

Title: Charlotte Hornets Go Full Rebuild With Draft Pick Haul in “The Culling”

By Adrian Wojnowski | ESPN Senior NBA Insider

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are no longer tiptoeing around a rebuild — they’re sprinting into one.

League sources confirmed to ESPN that the Hornets executed three trades on July 17th, sending Josh Green to Houston, Josh Okogie to Oklahoma City, and their own 2025 first-round pick to Memphis for Scottie Pippen Jr. and a 2028 unprotected first.

Dubbed internally as “The Culling,” this flurry of activity netted Charlotte four first-round picks and two seconds, vaulting them into the upper echelon of asset-heavy franchises like OKC and Utah.

“Charlotte’s front office is clearly betting on chaos in Phoenix, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles,” one GM told ESPN. “This wasn’t about talent—it’s about leverage.”

The moves also signal a philosophical shift under GM Jeff Peterson and recently hired assistant head coach Leon Rose. The franchise, fresh off a 19–63 season, is shifting away from short-term competitiveness and toward a multi-year rebuild anchored by draft capital and player development.

Expect more moves. LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams remain potential dominoes.