We had thought the dust had settled on the trade deadline when it was reported that the Charlotte Hornets had [acquired Malaki Branham](https://atthehive.com/2026/02/05/hornets-trading-tyus-jones-to-mavericks-for-malaki-branham/) about 20 minutes before the deadline. But not so fast. Apparently Jeff Peterson snuck one more deal through that we didn’t find out about until an hour after the deadline had past.
> The Boston Celtics traded Xavier Tillman Sr. to the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell ESPN. This gets the Celtics out of the luxury tax. Hornets get $3.5 million in the deal.
>
> — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) [February 5, 2026](https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/2019518522926481781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
To summarize, the Hornets get center Xavier Tilliman and $3.5 million in cold hard cash to cover the remainder of Tillman’s contract and then some. No word on what the Hornets sent out, since it has to be something, but it’s probably like a top 55 protected second round pick or something.
Getting Tillman for nothing is a great get for the Hornets’ postseason push. He hasn’t been called upon much in Boston, but he was a solid contributor as a backup big for the Grizzlies a couple of years ago. He’s on the small size and has athletic limitations, but he’s a very high effort and high IQ player. He plays good positional defense and is a tremendous passer for a big. Sounds like he’s got Hornets DNA. He’ll probably be the third string center behind Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but he’s a more than capable fill-in if he’s called upon at any point. And he’s younger than he looks.
While Tillman isn’t going to make or break the postseason run, the move is another example of how opportunistic and savvy Jeff Peterson is when it comes to generating assets out of thin air. He’s made a habit of helping teams with luxury tax or roster crunch problems. Each subsequent move has accrued assets and players for the team, and the Hornets now sit with a solid roster and one of the better stockpiles of future draft assets in the league. It’s truly been a masterclass in how to manage a rebuilding team in the modern NBA.
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