- Alonzo Mourning was traded to the Miami Heat for Glen Rice in 1995.
- Kobe Bryant was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac in 1996.
- Rice was sent to the Lakers for Eddie Jones in 1999.
The Charlotte Hornets have made many moves to give them a better shot at winning games and improving their championship basketball odds at a sportsbook.
The Hornets have never made good on their short NBA championship odds or reached the NBA Finals.
With that said, what are the seven biggest trades in Hornets history? Let’s find out.
7 Biggest Charlotte Hornets Trades in Team History
1. Alonzo Mourning, Pete Myers, and LeRon Ellis for Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves, and First-Round Pick
Alonzo Mourning spent three seasons in Charlotte, making two All-Star teams and helping the Hornets sweep the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in 1993.
Mourning was dealt to the Miami Heat in 1995 in exchange for Glen Rice, who finished fifth in MVP voting during the 1996-97 season after averaging 26.8 points per game.
Rice also helped the Hornets sweep the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs in 1998.
2. Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac
The Hornets made Kobe Bryant the No. 13 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but the “Black Mamba” was shortly sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.
Bryant went on to win five championships, including two Finals MVPs. He was also the 2008 NBA MVP, an 18-time All-Star, and 15-time All-NBA guard.
Divac spent two seasons in Charlotte before moving on to the Sacramento Kings in 1999.
3. Glen Rice, J.R. Reid, and B.J. Armstrong for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell
The Lakers traded Eddie Jones to the Hornets in February 1999, as he was named an All-Star and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 1999-00 season.
Jones helped the Hornets get to the playoffs in 2000 before being swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, and he departed for Miami in the offseason via a sign-and-trade.
4. Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanović for Stephen Jackson and Acie Law
Stephen Jackson was traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2009, and he helped them get to the playoffs after averaging 20.6 points per game, finishing 12th in MVP voting.
Jackson was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks following the 2010-11 season in a three-team deal, which also featured the Kings, landing Corey Maggette and Bismack Biyombo in Charlotte.
5. Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh for Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum put up several well-rounded seasons for Charlotte following his trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015, helping the Hornets get to the playoffs while averaging 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in his first season with the team.
6. First-Round Pick and Second-Round Pick for First-Round Pick
The Bobcats traded the No. 4 and No. 33 overall picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 2 selection in the 2004 NBA Draft, which ended up becoming Emeka Okafor.
Okafor won Rookie of the Year over Ben Gordon and Dwight Howard, averaging 14 points and 10.7 rebounds per game during his five-season run in Charlotte.
7. Gerald Wallace for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, and Two First-Round Picks
Gerald Wallace was a high-energy player on both sides of the floor during his run in Charlotte, sticking with the team through tough times. He made the All-Star team in 2010 and finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Wallace was shipped to Portland in February 2011.
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