CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are trading veteran center Vernon Carey and guard Ish Smith to the Washington Wizards for forward Montrezl Harrell, sources confirmed to WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni.
In addition to Carey and Smith, the Hornets will send a future second-round pick to the Wizards as part of the trade. With the Hornets in the midst of a six-game losing streak and in the thick of the playoff hunt, general manager Mitch Kupchak seemingly made the move to give the team a spark down the stretch.
Harrell will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so this move is viewed as a safe way to shake things up without mortgaging the future with a long-term contract. The Hornets have lost eight of their last 10 games and are ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Harrell is originally from Tarboro, North Carolina, and he played at the University of Louisville before turning pro in 2015. He joined the Wizards in 2021 as part of a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The biggest trade of the day came when the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to send Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for superstar James Harden. Several players were involved in the deal, as well as two future first-round picks of the 76ers.
Simmons has long been rumored to be on the trade block and Harden reportedly requested a trade from Brooklyn.
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