A thank you note marked the end of Pat Connaughton’s tenure in North Carolina just a week short of his 12th NBA season. The Charlotte Hornets have officially trimmed their roster down to the league-mandated 15-player limit ahead of opening night, waiving the 33-year-old veteran guard and 2021 NBA champion.
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Veteran NBA insider Shams Charania first broke the news on social media, reporting that Charlotte opted to part ways with the shooting guard prior to their final preseason exhibition.
“The Charlotte Hornets are waiving veteran Pat Connaughton, sources tell ESPN,” Charania reported.
The official Hornets page shared a poster of Pat’s moments in the teal colors and a grateful farewell note, “wishing you nothing but the best, @pconnaughton. 🫂”
Connaughton, whose $3.8 million salary for the 2026–27 campaign was non-guaranteed, found himself as the odd man out in a crowded backcourt and a revamp towards a younger core around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
The veteran guard was acquired by Charlotte in July 2025 via a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Vasilije Micić and draft assets. While appearing in only 42 games off the bench last season, he averaged 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in limited action. Despite the low on-court produciton, he was highly respected as a locker room leader and was named a finalist for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award last season that DeAndre Jordan won.
Despite his championship pedigree under third-year head coach Charles Lee, who served as an assistant during Milwaukee’s 2021 title run, Charlotte prioritized youth and frontcourt depth over keeping the veteran standard.
Roster Crunch and Backcourt Injuries Loom Over Charlotte Horneys’ Season Opener
The decision to waive Pat Connaughton resolved a lingering end-of-bench dilemma between the 12-year veteran and 21-year-old French forward Tidjane Salaün.
Salaün, the sixth overall pick in the 2024 draft, showed defensive growth during the preseason, prompting executive vice president Jeff Peterson to retain the young prospect rather than sacrifice long-term control.
NBA cap analysts Bobby Marks and Brett Siegel had previously noted that Connaughton was Charlotte’s sole non-guaranteed contract, making him the logical candidate to be released to avoid luxury tax complications or costly trade packages involving rookie contracts.
Connaughton’s departure comes at a turbulent moment for head coach Charles Lee’s rotation. Charlotte opens its regular season on Wednesday, October 21, against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center while navigating a wave of backcourt injuries.
Starting point guard Coby White, who was retained and promoted as the team’s primary ball-handler after the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball for Naz Reid, missed the entire preseason due to a recurring left calf strain suffered in training camp.
White’s availability for the season opener remains strictly questionable, forcing rookie Christian Anderson Jr. and veteran Dennis Schroder into elevated roles during practice sessions and preseason games.
The Anderson experiment is showing proven results in his preseason debut against the Celtics. Coming off the bench in the first quarter, he ended the Hornets’ scoring lull with an 18-foot jump shot. He finished the game with 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist and two steals across 21 minutes. Anderson, however, won’t be enough to solve the Hornets’ problems.
Compounding the backcourt distress, their star scoring wing Kon Knueppel has been managing a lingering hamstring injury. There is no definitive return date for Knueppel or White so far.
Moussa Diabaté is dealing with a day-to-day right-elbow injury that sidelined him for Charlotte’s preseason finale. Brandon Miller has also managed recent physical issues, including a shin contusion and prior shoulder surgery, while Naz Reid and Charlotte’s reserve centers could face greater frontcourt responsibilities if Diabaté misses time.
As Connaughton enters free agency in search of a minimum contract with a contender, Charlotte enters the 2026–27 season with one of the youngest 15-man rosters in the league, relying heavily on Reid and Schroder to provide stability while their injured starters work toward full recovery.