Grayson Allen reflects on his time at Duke after trade to Hornets

Aug. 18, 2026, 12:40 p.m. ET

Grayson Allen has been traded to the Charlotte Hornets after eight seasons in the NBA.Allen joins fellow former Duke Blue Devils Sion James and Kon Knueppel on the Hornets’ roster.The former NCAA champion expressed excitement about returning to North Carolina and its barbeque.During the 2026-27 season, the Hornets will be one of three NBA teams with three Duke alumni.

Grayson Allen, a former NCAA champion and four-year Duke Blue Devil, is finally back in the state of North Carolina after eight NBA seasons. This summer, Allen was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Charlotte Hornets, joining a duo of former Blue Devils that includes Sion James and Kon Knueppel.

Following the move, Allen spoke about getting re-adjusted to life in the Carolinas. “Being at Duke was maybe some of the best four years of my life. Hopefully I run into a lot of Duke fans here now that I’m back in North Carolina,” said Allen.

The sharpshooter also admitted to missing Southern barbeque.

“Some of the North Carolina barbeque I’ve missed. It’ll be good to go visit some of those spots,” he said.

In four years with Duke, Allen was a mainstay in Mike Krzyzewski’s lineup, making 142 appearances and averaging 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, three assists and one steal. Allen’s strongest campaign came in his sophomore season, where he averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals.

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Now back in North Carolina, Duke fans have plenty of reasons to tune in to the Hornets’ basketball during the 2026-27 season. Charlotte is one of three NBA teams to roster three former Blue Devils, along with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. The Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors have two Duke alumni each.