Hornets waive veteran wing Pat Connaughton, trimming roster to 15

The Charlotte Hornets are waiving veteran wing Pat Connaughton, according to reporter Shams Charania, and the team confirmed the move. The cut trims Charlotte’s roster from 16 players on standard contracts to the regular-season limit of 15 ahead of opening night.

Connaughton had looked like the odd man out for some time. He was the only Hornet on a standard contract whose salary was non-guaranteed, making him the logical release once the club had to finalize its roster.

The 41st overall pick in the 2015 draft, Connaughton spent his first three NBA seasons in Portland before signing with Milwaukee in the 2018 offseason. He became a rotation regular with the Bucks and played an important role off the bench when Milwaukee won its first championship in 50 years in 2021.

Injuries took a toll on Connaughton in recent years, and the Bucks attached a couple of second-round picks to shed his salary in the 2025 offseason. He rarely played in his first season in Charlotte, averaging just 7.1 minutes per game across 42 appearances, but he acted as a valued locker-room leader for a young team that exceeded expectations, particularly over the final two-thirds of 2025-26.