Charlotte Sold Scotty Hopson to New Orleans the Next Day
On July 13, 2014, Charlotte sent guard Scotty Hopson to the New Orleans Pelicans for cash considerations. The Hornets had acquired Hopson only one day earlier from Cleveland, along with cash, in the transaction sending Brendan Haywood and the rights to Dwight Powell to the Cavaliers. General manager Rich Cho issued an official release documenting the second move and both dates. The July 13 agreement was therefore a quick resale of an acquired contract or potential depth piece, not the end of a long Hornets player tenure. New Orleans needed another movable contract while building a larger transaction around its frontcourt. No separate first-round pick or guaranteed veteran scorer went to Charlotte for Hopson. The cash itself was the direct Hornets return.
Hopson Was a Transaction Piece Before He Became a Pelicans Player
Hopson did not establish an NBA regular-season playing role for New Orleans during the few days the team controlled his contract. The Pelicans went on to include his contract in a later multi-team deal tied to their acquisition of Omer Asik. That created an opportunity to complete a roster adjustment, but the entire Asik return involved multiple other players and draft assets; Hopson alone did not buy a starting center. His earlier appearances with Cleveland belong to that franchise, and his later professional playing work cannot be assigned to the Hornets or Pelicans simply because he appeared in transaction lists. New Orleans's inherited C grade reflects limited direct basketball value and some usefulness as an intermediate contract. The actual asset acquired on July 13 was a guard whose salary could be moved again.
The Hornets Got Financial Consideration Without Sacrificing Rotation Minutes
Charlotte obtained cash for a player it had held for roughly 24 hours and who had never appeared in a Hornets regular-season game. That is a small but concrete financial return. It did not alter the Hornets starting lineup, while the club could continue building around Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson rather than using another roster slot for a fringe guard. Charlotte's inherited C+ exceeds New Orleans's C, explaining the Slight Charlotte Edge label despite the limited basketball stakes. The transaction should be assessed as its own July 13 cash sale, not combined with the previous Cleveland acquisition or subsequent Pelicans Asik arrangement. That source trail distinguishes three consecutive deals involving Hopson from a fictional single three-team trade in which Charlotte directly received Asik.
Final Verdict
Slight Charlotte Edge. Charlotte earns C+ for obtaining cash on July 13, 2014, in return for Scotty Hopson, who had been acquired from Cleveland the previous day and never played a Hornets NBA game. New Orleans receives C for a movable contract, not a regular-season scoring contributor.