The Charlotte Hornets have been a bit busy at this year's trade deadline, acquiring more players than they lost. Unfortunately, that entailed the need to free up a roster spot, and Pat Connaughton became the odd man out.
A lot of fans were probably hoping to see Connaughton survive the trade season and continue to wear the purple and teal jersey. However, with the addition of Coby White, Mike Conley, and Tyus Jones and the subtraction of Collin Sexton and Mason Plumlee, something had to give.
OFFICIAL: @hornets have waived guard Pat Connaughton
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) February 5, 2026
Does that mean the Hornets plan on keeping the new arrivals on the roster beyond the deadline? That would be an intriguing decision, as they suddenly have a glut of lead ball-handlers after starting the 2025-26 season with only LaMelo Ball as the consistently reliable playmaker on the roster.
Another possibility for Charlotte is that it is about to make at least one more move via trade or the buyout market after cutting either Conley or Jones (or both), and the Connaughton decision was made in preparation for the next wave of roster activities.
CLT will miss you, Pat
In some ways, bidding Connaughton farewell would have been uneventful for the Hornets.
He hadn't played much this season, averaging just 7.0 minutes per game in 22 appearances. But every time he took to the court, plenty of eyes were on him to see if he would do something special.
That wasn't where Connaughton's value lay for the franchise, though. He had served as a needed leader in the locker room. And his previous connection with coach Charles Lee, stemming from their time together on the Milwaukee Bucks, had likely made him one of Lee's trusted voices on the squad.
The veteran forward was also pretty visible if you watch Hornets basketball. It wasn't just because of his recently changed hairdo, which was his punishment for placing last in the team's fantasy football league. He was usually one of the most animated figures on the bench whenever someone executed a highlight-reel play or hit an important shot.
The organization and its fans are surely going to miss Connaughton. It's unclear how much left the 33-year-old has in the tank, but other teams that have an available roster spot and are in need of a veteran presence should definitely explore adding him. If he ends up not playing again in the NBA, maybe it's Charlotte who should give bringing him back in a different capacity a look.