Hornets Enter Training Camp With 18 Standard Contracts, Must Cut Three Before Opening Night
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The Charlotte Hornets will head into training camp with more players than they are allowed to carry into the regular season, setting up a series of difficult roster decisions over the next few weeks.
What the numbers say
Charlotte currently lists 18 players on standard NBA contracts, 16 of which are guaranteed. All three two-way slots are also filled. League rules limit teams to 15 standard contracts once the regular season begins, meaning the Hornets must waive or trade three players before opening night.
The surplus also prevents the front office from approving Exhibit 10 agreements for prospects ticketed for the Greensboro Swarm, because those deals can’t be finalized until standard roster spots open.
Guaranteed core unlikely to move
Several key pieces are expected to remain. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, Josh Green, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all viewed as safe. In addition, Tre Mann, who signed a three-year, $24 million contract this summer, can’t be traded until January 15 and is not considered a cut candidate.
Veteran free-agent additions Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee each received fully guaranteed minimum deals and cannot be traded until December 15. Although either could theoretically be waived, releasing a player before he appears in a game after signing him to a guaranteed contract is viewed as unlikely unless an injury intervenes.
Battling for the final spot
By process of elimination, four players appear to be fighting for what projects to be the 15th and final roster position:
- Pat Connaughton – owed $9.42 million in the last season of his contract
- Nick Smith Jr. – first-round pick in 2023 with a guaranteed 2025/26 salary
- DaQuan Jeffries* – fully non-guaranteed deal
- Moussa Diabate* – partially protected contract
* denotes non-guaranteed for 2025/26
Jeffries looks like the simplest cut: releasing him carries no cap charge. Connaughton, acquired from Milwaukee in July along with two second-round picks, holds negative trade value after multiple injury-marred seasons and could also be waived despite his sizeable salary.
The final decision may come down to Smith versus Diabate. Smith, a guard, remains under contract but faces a crowded backcourt now that Mann and rookie wing Brandon Miller are healthy and Sexton and Dinwiddie have joined the rotation. Diabate, a center, benefits from a thinner depth chart at his position, with only Plumlee and Kalkbrenner ahead of him.
Financial flexibility eases decisions
Charlotte is operating well below the luxury-tax line, so swallowing a guaranteed salary would not impact cap maneuverability. Even so, the front office could still explore trades to reduce the roster without outright waivers.
Training-camp competition opens later this month, and the Hornets must reach the 15-player limit before the regular season tips off in late October.
Source: Hoops Rumors
