Why This Trade Works for All 3 Teams:

Brooklyn Nets

Wipe their books mostly clean for next season.

Completely clear the books by 2027 — potentially opening room for two max free agents.

In this deal, they move up in the draft: swapping pick #8 for #4, while also gaining pick #14 and a future Hawks First.

Only real reason they’d decline is if another team offers more total future picks, but likely not lottery picks.

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Charlotte Hornets

Get a building block center in Nic Claxton — a perfect athletic rim protector to pair with LaMelo and Brandon Miller.

Deal away players with little long-term value (Nurkić, Grant Williams).

Dump $7M+ in salary, giving them extra flexibility in free agency this year.

Still keep a lottery pick by moving from #4 to #8, a reasonable value drop given the player upgrade.

There's growing belief they may not be high on Mark Williams (potential injury concerns?) — this allows them to pivot cleanly.

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San Antonio Spurs

Cameron Johnson Spaces the floor beautifully for Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.

Fits seamlessly alongside a potential Dylan Harper.

Only add $2M in salary, which doesn’t meaningfully affect cap room.

End up with a better player than Harrison Barnes without paying a premium.

Bonus: Executive Connection

Jeff Peterson (Hornets GM) was formerly Assistant GM under Sean Marks in Brooklyn.

Strong working relationship could make this deal easier to build trust and align timelines.