RealGM Basketball Wiretap

04 February 2026

• Tyus Jones Traded By Magic To Hornets To Get Out Of Luxury Tax

  The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to acquire Tyus Jones from the Orlando Magic. Jones has been a trade candidate for the Magic to get out of the luxury tax. Charlotte recoups the loss of second rounders they sent out earlier on Wednesday for Coby White.

  Jones has appeared in 48 games this season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.7 minutes. Jones is a career 37.3 percent three-point shooter, but shooting just 29.4 percent this season.

  Jones spent last season with the Phoenix Suns.

• Hornets Acquire Coby White, Mike Conley From Bulls For Collin Sexton, Three 2nd Rounders

  The Charlotte Hornets have acquired Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. from the Chicago Bulls for Collin Sexton and three second round picks. The Bulls will also take back Ousmane Dieng from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the deal, with the Hornets sending Mason Plumlee to the Thunder.

  White will be a free agent in the offseason and has been considered a strong trade candidate leading to the deadline. White is on a $12.9 million expiring contract.

  White is averaging 18.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 29 games this season with the Bulls. White is represented by Ty Sullivan and Steven Heumann.

  The Bulls will receive the least favorable second rounder of the Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets in 2029, along with the New York Knicks in 2031, and the Nuggets in 2031.

• Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named NBA Rookies Of The Month For 3rd Straight Month

  Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month for January.

  Flagg averaged 20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Dallas Mavericks.

  Knueppel averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Charlotte Hornets.

  Flagg and Knueppel previously won the award in November and December as the pair of Duke alums each try to become the ninth and 10th rookies to win Rookie of the Month every month of their rookie seasons. Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James each swept the award during their rookie seasons in 2003-04. Karl-Anthony Towns was the rookie to most recently accomplish the feat, joining James, Anthony, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Damian Lillard.

• Cavs Looking To Trade Lonzo Ball, Have Had Early Discussions With Hornets

  The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to trade Lonzo Ball, sources told Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

  The Cavs would gain further financial flexibility by getting rid of Ball's $10 million salary.

  The Cavs and Hornets have held early trade discussions involving Ball, with the Hornets sending back second-round picks.

  The Cavs are not actively looking to trade Darius Garland or Max Strus, according to sources. It was rumored that the Cavs and Clippers were working on a deal involving Garland and James Harden, though now the trade will likely involve the likes of John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

  There is also a belief that Garland could be on the trade market this summer depending on how far the Cavs go in the playoffs.

• Dillon Brooks, Brandon Miller Named NBA's Players Of Week 15

  Dillon Brooks and Brandon Miller have been named the NBA's Players of the Week for Week 15.

  Brooks averaged 28.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent on three-pointers as the Phoenix Suns went 3-1.

  Miller averaged 26.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 50.0 percent on three-pointers as the Charlotte Hornets went 4-0.

• NBA Moves Up Start Times For Hawks-Pacers, Hornets-Sixers On Monday

  The NBA continues to adjust their schedule due to severe inclement weather across the United States. This includes start-time changes for two games on Monday, January 26.

  The Atlanta Hawks will now host the Indiana Pacers at 1:30 PM ET.

  The Charlotte Hornets will now host the Philadelphia 76ers at 3:00 PM ET.

  The league postponed two games on Sunday due to weather-related issues. The Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies game was postponed due to severe weather in the Memphis area. The Dallas Mavericks game at the Milwaukee Bucks was postponed after the Mavs team plane was unable to fly out of Dallas.

• Miles Bridges Drawing Trade Interest From Bucks, Warriors, Suns

  The Charlotte Hornets haven't indicated that they are looking to move Miles Bridges, but they are drawing interest in the veteran forward. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have all shown interest in acquiring Bridges.

  Charlotte is reportedly looking for at least one first-round pick, and maybe two, for Bridges. The combo forward makes a very tradable $25 million this season, with a fully guaranteed $22.8 million owed to him in 2026-27.

  One challenge for the Bucks is that the Hornets have no interest in taking back Kyle Kuzma in a Bridges trade. Kuzma is owed $22.4 million this season, followed by $20.3 million next season.

  The Warriors could offer Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of a deal for Bridges. The Suns could piece together a handful of contracts to match salary for Bridges, but don't have the draft capital to send to Charlotte.

• Knicks Have Talked Karl-Anthony Towns Trades With Magic, Hornets, Grizzlies

  The New York Knicks are struggling at the moment, in the midst of a four-game losing streak. That's the Knicks second four-game skid in their last 11 games, over which the team has gone just 2-9. That slide has many questioning what New York might do ahead of the trade deadline. One of the things the Knicks are reportedly considering is trading Karl-Anthony Towns.

  New York has reportedly discussed Towns deals with the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks big man was also involved in trade discussions related to Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer.

  Towns makes $53.1 million this season, with $57 million owed to him next season before a $61 million player option for 2027-28. The veteran center is also eligible to sign an extension this coming offseason.

  This season, Towns' efficiency has slipped. He's shooting a career-low 46.7% from the field. That includes 35.8% on three-pointers, which is the lowest since Towns rookie season.

• Hornets To Retire Dell Curry No. 30 Jersey In March Ceremony

  The Charlotte Hornets will retire Dell Curry's No. 30 jersey, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.

  The ceremony will take place on March 19 against the Magic.

  Curry, who played with the Hornets for ten seasons, is second on the franchise's all-time scoring list with 9,839 points.

  "I never imagined it would happen," Curry said. "It means so much to me. I do it because it's what I love to do. The game gave me so much, the fans gave me so much and I want to stay involved just to give back what I can and make this organization what it should be and give the fans, the team and the broadcast and the show that it's fun, we're having a great time and come celebrate, come support.... Man, it would be an injustice to try to put into words what this means."

  Curry also currently serves as the team's ambassador and television analyst.

  Curry will join Bobby Phills as the only two players who have their jerseys retired by the Hornets.

• Grant Williams Likely To Make Season Debut On Saturday

  The Charlotte Hornets frontcourt is getting a reinforcement. Grant Williams is probable to make his season debut on Saturday at the Chicago Bulls.

  Williams has missed the first part of the season while rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered in late November of 2024. The Hornets frontcourt can use the additional depth, as Miles Bridges is the only real power forward on the roster. In addition, rookie starting center Ryan Kalkbrenner and backup center Mason Plumlee have missed recent games due to injuries.

  In 45 games since joining Charlotte at the 2024 trade deadline, Williams has averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. That's the most consistent production Williams has had in his five-year career.