The Charlotte Hornets still have a little housekeeping left before the 2026-27 season begins, and the roster math is simple: they’re sitting at 17 players under contract, which means two more have to be moved or let go.
That leaves Jeff Peterson with a decision to make, and the two names that stand out are Dorian Finney-Smith and Pat Connaughton.
Finney-Smith arrived in Charlotte earlier this summer in a deal that cost the Hornets basically nothing. Houston wanted to get off his $13.3 million salary over the next two years, and Charlotte took him on while also adding three second-round picks - 2027 (via Memphis), 2028 (via Houston), and 2033 (via Houston).
On paper, he’s a useful veteran. In practice, the path to real minutes looks crowded.
The Hornets also brought in Royce O'Neale from the Phoenix Suns in the Miles Bridges trade, and that makes the wing rotation even tighter. Brandon Miller and O'Neale are expected to soak up most of the minutes at the three, with any leftovers likely going to Liam McNeeley.
Connaughton’s situation is even shakier. He wasn’t expected to be on the roster last year at all, and Jeff Peterson told him as much.
He stuck around anyway and gave Charlotte a veteran presence in the backcourt, along with the kind of older voice teams like to have in the room. But he played just seven minutes per game last season, and the addition of Grayson Allen pushed Sion James up to the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
That leaves Connaughton with very little room to carve out minutes at the two, and the wing picture isn’t any friendlier given the Finney-Smith logjam.
So unless something changes, the most likely outcome is that the Hornets waive both Finney-Smith and Connaughton. The article’s read is blunt: there probably won’t be anyone willing to give up anything to bring either one in.
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Hornets Face Another Tough Roster Decision After LaMelo Ball Trade
After moving on from LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have spent the rest of the summer trying to sort through a roster that suddenly feels crowded in a hurry. Charlotte has already made several notable moves, including adding Dennis Schroder and dealing Miles Bridges, but the churn has also created a new problem: there are only so many spots and minutes to go around, and the front office still appears to be weighing how best to balance the group.
One name now drawing attention is Dorian Finney-Smith, whose fit on the roster makes him a logical piece to shop if Charlotte wants to clear space. The Lakers and Cavaliers have been mentioned as possible landing spots, but nothing has been finalized, leaving the Hornets with another decision that could shape how this reshaped roster looks once camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Charles Lee Just Raised Expectations For Charlottes New-Look Roster
Charles Lee spent the summer talking up a Hornets roster that looks different, deeper and a little harder to define, but his belief in the group was clear. Even with LaMelo Ball gone, Charlotte added Coby White and bolstered the bench with Dennis Schrder, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, Grant Williams and Hannes Steinbach, giving the coach reasons to think the team can be more competitive than it has been in a crowded Eastern Conference.
The bigger question is how far that confidence can carry a team still trying to prove it belongs in the playoff conversation, let alone the top six. Lees public stance has raised the temperature around a roster that now has more pieces and more balance, but the Hornets still have to turn offseason optimism into actual wins before anyone will buy the idea that they are ready to surprise the league. [Read more 🡒]