Examining The Hornets’ Trade Deadline Moves
The Hornets executed five trades ahead of last week's deadline, using their cap flexibility to act an unconventional buyer without giving up valuable assets in the process. Today we're taking a closer look at Charlotte's moves and how the team pulled them off.
Hornets Notes: Knueppel, LaMelo, Improved Play, More
While his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg has received more media attention, No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel continues to thrive for the Hornets, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Knueppel, a 6’6″ wing, is one of the top shooters in the NBA as a 20-year-old rookie, averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists on .484/.431/.902 shooting in 54 games (32.1 minutes per contest).
Knueppel, who has won all three of the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards thus far in 2025/26, points to Charlotte’s defensive turnaround as the main factor in the team winning 10 of its past 11 games, Fowler notes.
“I really think just defensively, our attention to detail and our competitiveness on that end,” Knueppel said. “We’re a pretty good offensive team. … But I think the biggest reason is just our change of mindset a little bit on the defensive end.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, LaMelo Ball has played a major role in the Hornets’ surge up the standings by being healthy (he has appeared in 29 consecutive games) and showing growth in terms of leadership and maturity. Head coach Charles Lee challenged Ball on Wednesday after the star point guard had some defensive lapses in the first half against Atlanta, and the 24-year-old responded with some key stops down the stretch. “Yeah, and by challenge, it’s not like you go at him, but definitely just try to make him aware,” Lee said. “Atlanta’s game plan, it seemed like they were trying to put him in almost every action. And so to make him aware of it, to let him see the plays in our film session of how they’re trying to attack him … And then for him to step up, I thought was big time. It just shows he continues to grow to be the consistent competitor trying to impact winning any way he possibly can, even at the end of the game. … So, just a super mature adjustment by him on both ends of the floor.”
- Veteran guard/forward Pat Connaughton has witnessed Ball’s development over the course of the season, Boone adds. “I just see the maturity level growing,” Connaughton said. “I see his belief in not just his own abilities, but the abilities of the team. And then not just the abilities of the team, but what he’s capable of. He also knows he’s got four guys that are going to be playing with him and when he moves the basketball, it’s going to come back.”
- The Hornets improved to 26-29 on Wednesday despite missing starters Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, who were suspended four games apiece for their roles in a Monday fight. Lee says the Hornets, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the East, will reflect on the their recent success over the All-Star break with an eye on the future. “With 27 games to go, we’ve built this mindset, we’ve built some resolve, we’ve built an identity — I really, truly believe,” Lee said, per Boone. “And so, as they get a day or two to let their bodies recover, think about what we want to accomplish when we come back here. And I think I know the answer, but it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything we’ve done, and then figure how we can stay hungry and take advantage of a couple of days to rest and recover.”
Post-Deadline Rumors: Morant, JJJ, Bulls, Missi, Celtics
The fact that Ja Morant wasn’t traded at last week’s deadline came as a bit of a surprise to him, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, who says the Grizzlies weren’t willing to accept a package similar to what Atlanta got for Trae Young.
The Grizzlies talked to the Heat, Timberwolves, and Bucks about Morant, but didn’t come close to making a deal, Azarly writes. League sources tell ClutchPoints that Ryan Rollins was a player Memphis and Milwaukee talked about, but the Grizzlies were averse to taking back Kyle Kuzma and/or Bobby Portis, who are both on multiyear guaranteed contracts.
According to reporting last week, Memphis signaled a willingness to take on long-term salary if it came attached to first-round draft compensation, but there’s no indication the Bucks would’ve put their lone tradable first-rounder on the table for Morant.
The expectation is that the Grizzlies will try to trade Morant again in the summer, and Azarly suggests that the point guard should be able to return from his left elbow injury not long after the All-Star break. As Azarly explains, even though Memphis has pivoted to a full-on rebuild and would benefit from piling up losses down the stretch, both the team and Morant himself would appreciate the opportunity to have the 26-year-old rebuild his trade value with a strong finish to the season.
Here are a few more leftover rumors from last week’s trade deadline:
- In addition to Golden State and Toronto – whose talks with the Grizzlies were previously reported – the Pistons and Hawks also “checked in” on Jaren Jackson Jr. before he was dealt to the Jazz, while the Suns and Hornets also had interest, says Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. There’s no indication that any of those teams made any real progress toward acquiring Jackson from Memphis.
- The Bulls, who acquired a total of eight second-round picks in their various pre-deadline deals, made an effort to flip some of those second-rounders to the Pelicans last Thursday in a deal for second-year center Yves Missi, Siegel writes. However, New Orleans was holding out for a first-round pick and ended up retaining Missi through the deadline.
- Sources who spoke to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) viewed the Celtics‘ swap of Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic as a “clear indicator” that Boston thinks forward Jayson Tatum will be able to return before the end of the season. Simons’ was the team’s fourth-leading scorer prior to the trade, but would’ve likely seen his role reduced in a rotation that featured a healthy Tatum.
Isaiah Stewart (Seven Games) Among Four Players Suspended By NBA
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart has been suspended seven games by the NBA for leaving his team’s bench area, “aggressively” entering an on-court altercation, and fighting, the NBA announced on Wednesday in a press release (Twitter link).
The league also confirmed three more suspensions that stemmed from the fight between the Pistons and Hornets during Monday’s game. Hornets forward Miles Bridges and center Moussa Diabate have been suspended for four games apiece, while Pistons center Jalen Duren will be required to sit out for two games.
According to the NBA, Stewart received the most significant penalty in part because of his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” He was also the only one of the four suspended players who wasn’t already on the court and came from the bench to get involved in the melee.
Stewart was previously suspended two games for aggressively trying to confront LeBron James during a Nov. 2021 game; three games after punching Drew Eubanks prior to a game in Feb. 2024; and two games for his involvement in an altercation between the Pistons and Timberwolves last March. He also received an automatic one-game suspension last January after racking up six flagrant foul points.
The league stated that Bridges and Diabate each received four-game bans for “fighting and escalating the altercation,” while Duren was given a two-game suspension for “initiating the altercation and fighting.”
The incident occurred with just over seven minutes remaining in the third quarter of Monday’s matchup in Charlotte. Tensions between the two opposing centers came to a head after Duren received the inbound pass, drove into the lane, and was fouled hard by Diabate. The two players butted heads, then Duren pushed Diabate in the face, igniting a fight that lasted more than 30 seconds (YouTube link).
Bridges shoved Duren with two hands, while a furious Diabate rushed after and attempted to punch Duren. His punch didn’t connect as he was held by back Tobias Harris, but Diabate continued to pursue Duren, who slowly walked away along the baseline as the Hornets center was stopped by several coaches.
The incident seemed like it could have ended at that point, but then Bridges and Duren appeared to exchange words, and Bridges approached Duren and threw a left-handed punch. Duren responded with a right that didn’t connect as Stewart rushed onto the court to confront Bridges, who threw another punch. A brief and chaotic tussle ensued, with Stewart appearing to have Bridges in a headlock at one point, before the players were separated.
Duren will begin serving his suspension on Wednesday when the Pistons visit Toronto and will also miss the first game after the All-Star break, in New York. However, he’ll still be allowed to take part in his first All-Star game on Sunday, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Stewart, meanwhile, will miss the Raptors and Knicks games, then five more beyond that. He’d be eligible to return on March 3 in Cleveland. Paul Reed figures to take on a more prominent role in Detroit’s frontcourt with Duren and Stewart out.
Bridges and Diabate, meanwhile, will miss Wednesday’s Hornets game vs. Atlanta, as well as post-All-Star matchups with Houston (Feb. 19), Cleveland (Feb. 20), and Washington (Feb. 22).
The suspensions will cost each player 1/145th of his 2025/26 salary per game. That works out to $724,138 for Stewart, $689,655 for Bridges, $89,423 for Duren, and $62,641 for Diabate.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Giannis, Wagner, Connaughton, More
The Heat weren’t offered a first-round pick for Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, or Tyler Herro ahead of last Thursday’s trade deadline, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. According to Jackson, Miami could have potentially secured a pair of second-round picks in a Wiggins trade, but the front office didn’t think the upside of those picks outweighed the value of hanging onto the veteran forward.
While the Heat intend to renew their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, the Bucks didn’t tell Miami what it would’ve taken for them to accept an offer, according to Jackson, who reports that Milwaukee simply turned down the Heat’s proposal rather than making a counteroffer or engaging in any real back-and-forth.
Interestingly, Jackson says the Heat – who only had two tradable first-round picks at the deadline – had a viable path to acquiring a third first-rounder and would’ve been willing to pull the trigger on that deal and include the pick in their offer for Antetokounmpo. However, it still wouldn’t have been enough to satisfy the Bucks.
It’s unclear how Miami would’ve acquired that third first-round pick without using either one of the three veterans mentioned above or another asset that would’ve otherwise been included in its Giannis offer.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Southeast:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who missed nine consecutive games – and 25 of 27 – due to a left ankle injury, returned to the court on Monday vs. Milwaukee, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel details (subscription required). Wagner came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career and was on a “very strict” minutes restriction, per Beede. But he made an impact as a reserve, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and handing out five assists in 17 minutes of action as Orlando beat Milwaukee 118-99.
- The new contract that veteran wing Pat Connaughton signed with the Hornets is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Connaughton will earn $1,315,814 for the rest of this season, while his 2026/27 option is worth $3,815,861.
- More contract details out of Charlotte: Tosan Evbuomwan‘s new two-way contract with the team is a two-year deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Among the Hornets‘ two-way players, only Antonio Reeves has a one-year contract, with Evbuomwan’s and PJ Hall‘s deals running through 2026/27.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) analyzes the Anthony Davis trade and considers possible next steps for the Wizards. In Gozlan’s view, unless Davis is willing to take a pay cut on his next deal, it doesn’t make sense for Washington to sign the big man to a contract extension unless he stays healthy and plays well for an extended period of time.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
These situations remain fluid, with more roster moves being finalized each day. But with the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Multiple open roster spots
- Teams with multiple 15-man openings:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Teams with one 15-man and one two-way opening:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
The Celtics entered trade deadline week with 14 players on their standard roster and sent out four players (Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Josh Minott) while only taking back one (Nikola Vucevic). They promoted Amari Williams from his two-way contract to the standard roster to get to 12 players, but they still have three roster openings.
Given how tight their margins are below the tax line, the Celtics will likely use their full two-week allotment and wait until February 19 before making two additions to get back to the roster minimum of 14.
The Nuggets dipped to 13 players on standard contracts by trading Hunter Tyson last Thursday and also have until Feb. 19 to get back to 14. Two-way standout Spencer Jones has reached his 50-game limit and is the obvious candidate to be promoted into that spot, though he’s in the concussion protocol for now, so Denver may not to need to make that move until after the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves went from 14 players to 13 when they sent out Mike Conley on Tuesday of trade deadline week, so they have until Feb. 17 to reach the roster minimum again. It sounds like their old 14th man will likely become their new 14th man, with Conley expected to re-sign in Minnesota after being dealt twice ahead of last week’s deadline.
As for the Warriors and Kings, both clubs both briefly went down to 13 players, but they’ve since promoted two-way players Pat Spencer and Dylan Cardwell, respectively, so they’re back to 14 and there’s no urgency for them to make additional moves. Still, it’s worth noting that both teams technically have multiple roster openings, since they’ve yet to sign new two-way players to replace Spencer and Cardwell. Both Golden State and Sacramento are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
One open roster spot
- Teams with a 15-man opening:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards *
- Teams with a two-way opening:
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers **
The Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.
The Suns, meanwhile, are in the same boat as those teams but might create a second opening on their 15-man roster in the near future — the expectation is that they’ll waive newly acquired guard Cole Anthony. If they do so, they’d have 14 days to add a replacement.
The Wizards have perhaps the most fluid situation of any team in this group. They have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Keshon Gilbert on a 10-day deal that will expire during the All-Star break. It’s also possible that D’Angelo Russell, acquired in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, won’t be on the roster much longer, with buyout rumors swirling around him. If Washington parts ways with Russell and doesn’t re-sign Gilbert, the team would have three 15-man openings and would need to fill at least two of them.
The Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, and Sixers all currently have full 15-man rosters and one open two-way slot, but L.A. and Philadelphia will soon open up standard roster spots.
The Clippers have Dalano Banton on a 10-day deal through next Monday, while the 76ers have Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on 10-day pacts through Saturday. Both teams are at or near their limit of “under-15” games for two-way players, so if they want to continue using their players on two-way contracts, they’ll need to ensure they maintain full 15-man rosters.
No open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
The Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.
In some of those cases, there’s an obvious release candidate on the roster. For instance, it’s believed to be just a matter of time until Toronto officially waives Chris Paul. A few of those clubs will also need to make room on their 15-man rosters to convert two-way players — Ryan Nembhard in Dallas and Sidy Cissoko in Portland are among the top candidates for promotions.
As for the Grizzlies, one of their 15 standard players – Lawson Lovering – is on a 10-day contract. His deal will expire after the team’s Feb. 20 game, opening up a roster spot in Memphis.
Four Players Ejected From Pistons-Hornets Game After Fight
Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges of the Hornets and Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart of the Pistons were ejected after a fight broke out in the third quarter of Monday’s game in Charlotte, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press.
Diabate and Duren appeared to be jawing at each other before the ball was inbounded with 7:13 remaining in the period (YouTube link via ESPN). After a little extracurricular activity between the two big men, Duren received the inbound pass, drove into the lane, and was fouled hard by Diabate. The two players appeared to butt heads, then Duren pushed Diabate in the face, igniting a fight that lasted more than 30 seconds.
Bridges shoved Duren with two hands, and Diabate was furious, rushing after and attempting to punch Duren. His punch didn’t connect as he was held by back Tobias Harris, but Diabate continued to pursue Duren, who slowly walked away along the baseline.
The incident seemed like it could have ended at that point, but then Bridges and Duren appeared to exchange words, and Bridges approached Duren and threw a left-handed punch. Duren responded with a right that didn’t connect.
Stewart, who was on the bench at the time, rushed onto the court to confront Bridges, who threw another punch. A brief and chaotic tussle ensued, with Stewart appearing to have Bridges in a headlock at one point, before the players were separated.
The incident marred a highly anticipated matchup between the Pistons, the top seed in the East, and the Hornets, who entered the game as the league’s hottest team, having won nine straight. Detroit wound up winning by six points.
Stewart left the bench, which typically results in an automatic suspension, and he has also been suspended multiple other times for fighting. ESPN’s Bobby Marks expects Detroit’s backup big man to receive a harsh penalty for his actions on Monday (Twitter link).
“Duren and Stew consider themselves to be brothers,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game (Twitter video link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “If you run two guys at one guy and you’ve already crossed the line, human instinct tells him to protect his little brother.”
Hornets Waive Malaki Branham, Re-Sign Pat Connaughton
9:41 am: Charlotte used the open roster spot created by releasing Branham to re-sign Pat Connaughton, announcing the move on Twitter.
Connaughton was waived last Wednesday so a deal bringing Jones from Orlando could be completed. Connaughton, a 33-year-old swingman, has appeared in 22 games this season, posting 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per night.
9:00 am: The Hornets have opened up a roster spot by waiving Malaki Branham, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 22-year-old combo guard was traded at last week’s deadline. Washington initially agreed to send him to Dallas as part of the eight-player Anthony Davis deal, but the Mavericks expanded the trade to reroute him to Charlotte in exchange for Tyus Jones.
Branham had a limited role with the Wizards this season, appearing in 28 games, all as a reserve. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night with .473/.378/.824 shooting splits.
He’s earning a guaranteed $4,962,033 in the final year of his rookie contract, so the Hornets will be on the hook for the balance of that deal.
Branham was selected by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2022 draft after a strong freshman year at Ohio State. He was a part-time starter with the Spurs during his first two NBA seasons, but fell out of the rotation last year and was shipped to Washington in July.
The Hornets have won nine straight games and are currently 10th in the East.
Southeast Notes: White, Powell, Wagner Bros., J. Carter
After initially agreeing to give up three second-round picks in their trade for Coby White, the Hornets amended the terms of the deal to remove one of those selections when the guard’s physical showed a left calf injury. However, that calf issue didn’t diminish the team’s enthusiasm for its acquisition of the North Carolina native, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“As soon as I touched down, I felt wanted,” White told Boone. “I called my family, and I’m like, ‘Everybody here is just super-welcoming and super-nice. And they keep talking about long term, long term, long term.’ And just hearing that somewhere where you’re valued for a long term, especially being back home, it means a lot.”
White is on an expiring contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, so there’s no guarantee the Hornets will be able to re-sign him. But president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson made it clear that’s the plan, as Boone relays.
“Just being able to acquire Coby and being able to acquire his Bird rights is very, very important for us in terms of how we’re operating and how we are building it out,” Peterson said. “So, as I said earlier, he fits everything that we want to be about and hope that he’s a Hornet for a very long time.”
Head coach Charles Lee is also excited about adding White to the roster, breaking into a smile when he was asked about the team’s newest guard on Saturday (Twitter video link via Boone).
“Spend a minute with him, you can already feel a sense of maturity, a sense of eagerness to want to play and build relationships, a competitiveness to him,” Lee said. “He’s super engaged in everything we do. A great human being. … I think he’s already trying to put his fingerprint – or put his stamp – on our environment and on our culture.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Heat swingman Norman Powell was initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Washington due to a right hand sprain, then left the blowout victory in the third quarter due to lower back tightness. However, with a busy All-Star weekend on tap in a few days (in addition to being named a first-time All-Star, the 32-year-old will also take part in the three-point contest), Powell didn’t sound concerned about either health issue. “I think a lot to do with being stuck on the plane for a lot of hours,” Powell said of his back tightness, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “And then soft beds at the hotel. We tried to make an adjustment. But they didn’t have what we needed to have, a little firmer mattress there. I always get a little back flare-up when I’m sleeping on soft mattresses.”
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who has missed nine consecutive games – and 25 of the past 27 – due to a left ankle injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Milwaukee and hopes to play before the All-Star break, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). If Wagner isn’t activated on Monday, his last pre-All-Star opportunity to return would be on Wednesday in a rematch against the Bucks.
- Franz’s brother Moritz Wagner has played in 11 of the Magic‘s 12 games since returning from an ACL tear last month, but he admitted this week that his recovery process hasn’t been “linear” and that he’s still trying to get back to feeling 100%. “My days are full, my recovery protocol is huge, (and) my confidence is still not at a point where it used to be,” Moritz said (Twitter video link via Beede). “This injury is heavy, man. It’s a really long process and it takes a long time, so I have a lot of respect for that.”
- After being waived by Chicago at the start of trade deadline week, Jevon Carter was informed that the Magic were “very interested” in signing him. That made it an easy decision for him to sign with Orlando, Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “It was kind of a like a no-brainer for me,” Carter said. “They wanted me. I like to go where I’m wanted. Talking to (Magic president of basketball operations) Jeff (Weltman), he still remembered my pre-draft work out that I did here back in 2018. So, he was excited to have me, and I’m excited to be here.”
NBA Announces Eight Participants For Three-Point Contest
The NBA has announced the eight-player field for the 2026 three-point contest, which will take place on February 14 at 4:00 pm CT (Twitter link).
Here’s the full list of participants:
Devin Booker, Suns- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets
- Bobby Portis, Bucks
- Norman Powell, Heat
Lillard’s inclusion in the competition is a surprise, as the nine-time All-Star will miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon last April. The 35-year-old guard is a two-time winner of the three-point contest.
Booker is another former three-point contest champion, though he’s only shooting 30.7% from long distance this season, which represents a career low.
No. 4 overall pick Knueppel has a chance to become the first rookie to win the event, per the league. The former Duke standout has connected on 42.8% of his outside looks on high volume (7.8 attempts per game).
Portis is the only big man among the eight competitors. He has also been the most accurate three-point shooter in the field this season, converting 45.1% of his 4.3 attempts per game.
First-time All-Stars Murray (43.2% on 7.5 attempts per game) and Powell (39.3% on 7.2 attempts) are having strong seasons for their respective clubs. Mitchell (37.9% on 9.7 attempts) and Maxey (38.2% on 8.8 attempts) are the highest-volume three-point shooters in the field and are also the top two scorers.
Last year’s winner, Tyler Herro, is currently sidelined because of a rib injury. He declined an invitation to focus on his health over the All-Star break.