The Charlotte Hornets may be near unrecognizable come the start of the 2026-27 season.
This marks the second major move the Hornets have made in the last week after trading franchise point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
Bridges, 28, was a big part of the Hornets’ fifth-ranked offence last season by offensive rating, as he finished with 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 46 per cent from the field and 33.3 per cent from deep.
The six-foot-seven forward was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers 12th overall in 2018, but was traded on draft night to the Hornets for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Over his eight years in the NBA, he has averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
He sat out the 2022-23 season while the league investigated a domestic violence incident involving the player and the mother of his children. He was given a 30-game suspension for the 2023-24 season, but because he sat out the full season prior while unsigned by a team, the league considered 20 games of the suspension to have already been served.
Allen, meanwhile, will return to the state in which he rose to basketball fame — or infamy, depending on perspective — as a member of the Duke Blue Devils over his four years in the NCAA.
The 30-year-old enjoyed a productive season last year, averaging a career-high 16.5 points, along with three rebounds and 3.8 assists.
O’Neale, 33, has been a serviceable role-player in the league over his nine-year career. Last season with Phoenix, the six-foot-six forward averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 40.8 per cent from three.