Hoops Rumors examines the 2026 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s moves in the offseason and take a look at what else could happen before the regular season begins. Today we focus on Charlotte Hornets.
Signing free agents
- Kobe White: Three years, $74,000,000. Full warranty. Rewritten using the rights of Bird.
- Josiah Alik: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
- Yarkel the carpenter: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
- Kyle Mangas: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
- No Mbengo: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
- Kobe Stewart: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
- Trey Townsend: Year, minimum wage. Not guaranteed (app. 9/10). Signed using the minimum wage exemption.
Note: All of these players except White and Mbenga have been waived.
Trades
- Purchased Dorian Finney-SmithGrizzlies second round pick in 2027, Rockets second round pick in 2028 and Rockets second round pick in 2033 from Rockets in exchange for cash ($110K).
- Purchased Naz Reeddraft rights to Matteo SpagnoloTimberwolves 2033 first round pick, Timberwolves 2029 second round pick, Timberwolves 2032 second round pick, Timberwolves 2033 second round pick and 2028, 2029 and 2030 first round picks with the Timberwolves and Muhammad Guye from the Bulls in a four-team trade in exchange for Lamela’s ball (to the Timberwolves) and Josh Green (to the Timberwolves).
- Purchased Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neilland a 2033 first-round pick from the Suns in exchange for Miles Bridgesor the Hornets, Jazz, Timberwolves (5 protected), or the Cavaliers’ 2029 first-round pick (whichever is the least favorable), and the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is the least favorable).
- Purchased Dennis Schroeder and cash ($4.35 million) from the Cavaliers in a five-team trade in exchange for Three people (to the Wizards).
Drafts
- 1-14: Hannes Steinbach
- Signed rookie contract (four years, $24,981,907). The first two years with a guarantee. Third and fourth year team options.
- 1-18: Christian Anderson Jr
- Signed rookie contract (four years, $20,613,239). The first two years with a guarantee. Third and fourth year team options.
Two-sided signatures
- Michael Ajayi
- Two years, $91,000 partially guaranteed (will increase to $339,441 at the start of the regular season); withsecond year without warranty.
- Kaylan Boswell
- Two years, $91,000 partially guaranteed (will increase to $339,441 at the start of the regular season); withsecond year without warranty.
Note: Hornets rescheduled PJ Hall under a bilateral contract from 2025/26.
Abandoned/Unsigned Free Agents
Other moves are listed
Salary cap situation
Note: Numbers are rounded to one decimal place.
- Operating above the cap ($165 million) and below the first tax bracket ($209 million).
- A hard hat on the first apron.
- Team salary: $179.7 million (tax); $180.2 million (apron).
- Below the luxury tax line by $20.7 million; below the $28.8 million hard cap.
- A partial exemption is available for middle-income taxpayers ($847,000).
- Four exceptions are available for traded players (the largest at $40.8 million).
Offseason yet
Hornets have been very active ever since Jeff Peterson became the team’s basketball manager in March 2024, making a series of trades to accumulate draft assets and add young talent and seasoned veterans to the roster. The big question heading into the 2026 offseason was whether that trend would continue after Charlotte went 28-10 last season.
It turned out that the answer was a resounding yes. But even for the front office under Peterson, this offseason has been different.
Most of the Hornets’ trades over the past couple of years have involved rival teams sending Charlotte’s draft capital to unwanted contracts. There were a few notable exceptions, including the Phoenix trade for Mark Williams last year and the acquisition of Charlotte Kobe White in February, but for the most part, the Hornets acted as a bridge to collect salary.
Such transactions were relatively easy for a rebuilding club with the financial flexibility to accommodate contracts that might have been difficult for a team facing large luxury taxes or another financial challenge and/or roster shortage. In addition to a solid finish to the 2025/26 season, the Hornets entered the offseason with two first-round draft picks among teenagers (Nos. 14 and 18) and a significant supply of future assets.
That draft cache got a big boost after the front office decided to part ways with the former franchise player Lamela’s ball and veteran forward Miles Bridgeswhose long tenure with the team was marred by allegations of domestic violence.
As part of a four-team trade blockbuster, Charlotte sent Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reeddraft rights to Matteo Spagnolothe Timberwolves’ unprotected first-round pick in 2033, three first-round trades and three second-rounders (all from the Wolves).
The Suns, who have long been linked to Bridges, traded Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neill and their 2033 first-round pick to Charlotte to acquire the former Michigan State star. As part of the deal, Charlotte sent Phoenix a cheap 2029 first-round pick (the least favorable of the four teams’ picks) and the least favorable second-rounder.
The Hornets also made another cash grab, this time getting three second-round picks from the Rockets Dorian Finney-Smithcontract. They also added a veteran point guard Dennis Schroeder from Cleveland in a five-team deal Three people to Washington.
The Ball trade was the most significant of the bunch, as the Wolves paid a high price to land the former Rookie of the Year and one-time All-Star. Still, despite his injury history, I’m sure the Hornets had a tough time getting rid of their best player.
Ball played in 72 games of the 2025/26 regular season and proved what he can do when he can stay on the court. His average dropped to 20.1 points per game and he shot just 40.7% from the field, which was near a career low, but he cut his losses and played winning basketball, making everyone around him better.
The Hornets had an excellent +9.1 net rating and 123.2 offensive rating during Ball’s time on the floor. Those marks would have ranked second and first in the NBA, respectively, over a full season and represented a significant improvement over the +1.5 net rating and 110.6 offensive rating that Charlotte posted when the star point guard did not play.
While Ball has three more years on his contract and is only 25 years old, Bridges is coming off a contract and entering his age-29 season. Sure, Minnesota gave up more for Ball than Phoenix gave up for Bridges, but the Suns parting with an unprotected first-round pick and a pair of solid role players just to pay Bridges a potentially hefty contract was surprising around the league.
Re-signing White as a free agent became a top priority after agreeing to trade Ball, and the Hornets signed the North Carolina native to a three-year, $74 million deal. They added former Washington big man Hannes Steinbach with the 14th pick and drafted the ex-Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr from the 18th election. Charlotte also signed on Michael Ajayi and Kaylan Boswell on bilateral contracts after they have not been drawn up.
Next
The Hornets are one of several teams facing a roster shortage this fall, with 16 players under guaranteed contracts and veterans Pat Connaughton on a non-guaranteed deal. Barring additional trades, Finney-Smith and Connaughton will likely be the odd man out.
By trading two of its longest-tenured players, Charlotte made it clear the team is looking to build around a core named by the former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and Rookie of the Year runner-up Mog Knueppela pair of sharp wings. This fall, Miller is ready to scale up for rookies, and he is are reportedly being discussed new deal with the team.
Miller appears to be a strong candidate to sign the extension agreement until October 19th. I’m curious to see what that contract might look like — I expect it to be somewhere around $31 million a year Ausar Thompson received from Detroit and $41.6 million per year Amin Thompson received from Houston.
Forward Grant Williams and the center Moussa Diabate are willing to extend the contract of veterans and may be candidates for new contracts before the start of the season. However, they will remain eligible for renewal until June 30, 2027, and certain types of extensions will make them untradeable until the end of February.
The Hornets created a $40.8 million player exception — the largest TPE in NBA history — as part of the Ball trade, and currently have $20.7 million in cap space below the tax line and about $28.8 million in first-apron hard cap space.
In addition to controlling a $40.8 million TPE, the Hornets have several mid-cap players and are projected to hold 11 first-round picks over the next seven years, as well as at least 17 second-rounders over the same span. RealGM.
Perhaps the Hornets will continue to patiently accumulate draft assets in the short term. But they have more than enough draft capital to pursue any star player that could emerge in the future if they so choose, and it’s worth keeping an eye on this roster update as they continue to build their core around Miller and Knuepel.
Luke Adams contributed to this article
