The Charlotte Hornets officially announced their roster for the start of the 2025-26 season, and there was one surprising entry.
That surprising entry is the inclusion of Pat Connaughton over Spencer Dinwiddie, who was waived [last week](https://x.com/hornets/status/1978873888282153176). I think most people assumed that Dinwiddie was the favorite for the final roster spot given he was signed outright as a free agent while Connaughton was essentially a salary dump so the Bucks could pursue Myles Turner. That impression was strengthened during media day press conferences when Charles Less was asked what he expected of Connaughton this year, and he gave an answer somewhere along the lines of “we expect him to be a professional” while making no comments about Connaughton as a basketball player. But apparently whatever happened throughout camp and the preseason was enough to make the coaching staff and front office decide to stick with the longtime Buck as veteran guard depth.
The rest of the roster was all but locked in since July. It’s full of young or young-ish players on long term contracts a couple of veterans that were always going to be key parts of the rotation. Here’s what we’re rocking with:
**Guards:** LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Pat Connaughton, KJ Simpson (two-way)
**Wings:** Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Josh Green, Sion James, Antonio Reeves (two-way), Drew Peterson (two-way)
**Forwards:** Miles Bridges, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaün
**Bigs:** Moussa Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Mason Plumlee
There’s obviously a lot more depth in the back court than there is in the front court, but we already knew that. If nothing else, it looks like there are pieces to pack a good offensive punch, which should hopefully make for a fun season.
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