2024 NBA Free Agency (Began June 30)
2024-25 Charlotte Hornets Roster & Salary Cap Snapshot
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(Last updated July 16, 2024)
Given that the Charlotte Hornets have the longest active playoff drought (eight consecutive seasons) in the entire National Basketball Association, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that they have started anew in such a wide variety of ways.
The franchise’s majority owners, Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, purchased the team from Michael Jordan’s ownership group last August. Long-time Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak moved into an advisory role in February, about one month before 35-year-old Jeff Peterson, formerly of Atlanta and Brooklyn, officially took over as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations.
Brand-new Charlotte head coach Charles Lee, a 39-year-old long-time NBA assistant (Atlanta, Milwaukee, Boston), officially replaced the fired Steve Clifford after the Celtics defeated Dallas in the NBA finals in June. Under Clifford, the Hornets posted the third-worst record (21-61) in the 30-team league in 2023-24.
However the 2024-25 Hornets turn out, they won’t look much like last year’s edition.
A year ago, star guard LaMelo Ball and starting center Mark Williams played only 22 and 19 games, respectively. Ball, the 2021 NBA rookie of the year and a 2022 All-Star, has missed the bulk of the last two seasons with ankle problems. Williams, a former Duke standout, suffered a major back injury in November.
Meanwhile, starting guard Terry Rozier (Miami), starting wing forward Gordon Hayward (Oklahoma City) and backup power forward PJ Washington (Dallas) were traded away during the 2023-24 campaign, after it became clear that the Hornets would miss the postseason once again.
Ball, Williams and the team’s 2023 first-round draft pick, Brandon Miller, are expected to play major roles for the Hornets in 2024-25. A former Alabama star who won’t turn 22 years old until November, Miller made the NBA All-Rookie team last season, after averaging 17 points and 37 percent 3-point shooting in 32 minutes per game.
In this year’s draft, the Hornets added French forward Tidjane Salaun (pronounced “Tee-jahn Suh-lahn”) with the sixth overall selection and Colorado guard KJ Simpson with their second-round pick. Meanwhile, Australian wing guard Josh Green (Dallas) and veteran combo guard Reggie Jackson (Denver) were added to the roster via offseason trades.
When the NBA Summer League schedule (July 6-22) started, the Hornets’ biggest off-the-court priorities included the status of star forward Miles Bridges, an unrestricted free agent.
Peterson said he told Bridges he wanted to keep him in Charlotte, and Bridges said he would like to remain with the Hornets. Indeed, on July 7, Bridges signed a three-year, $75 million deal to remain in the Queen City.
Bridges, 26, averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes per game last season, his third in a starting role for the Hornets. The former Michigan State star was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2018 and has played 360 games (with 255 starts) for the franchise over the past five seasons.
Charlotte Hornets Salary Cap Summary
2024-25 NBA (Soft) Salary Cap: $140,588,000
2024-25 NBA Tax Level: $170,814,000
2024-25 Hornets Cap Allocations: $152,845,930
Player, Position, Age, 2024-25 Salary Cap Hit (Long-Term Status)
LaMelo Ball, G, 23, $35,147,000 (signed through 2028-29)
Miles Bridges^, F, 26, $23,148,148 (signed through )
Grant Williams, F, 26, $13,025,250 (signed through 2026-27)
Josh Green*, G, 24, $12,654,321 (signed through 2026-27)
Brandon Miller, F, 22, $11,424,600 (team options through 2026-27)
Cody Martin, F, 29, $8,120,000 (team options through 2025-26)
Vasilije Micić, G, 31, $7,723,000 (team options through 2025-26)
Tidjane Salaun*, F, 19, $7,488,720 (team options through 2027-28)
Reggie Jackson*, G, 34, $5,250,000 (signed through 2024-25)
Nick Richards, C, 27, $5,000,000 (signed through 2025-26)
Tre Mann, G, 23, $4,908,373 (signed through 2024-25)
Mark Williams, C, 23, $4,094,280 (team options through 2025-26)
Nick Smith Jr., G, 20, $2,587,200 (team options through 2027-28)
Seth Curry^, G, 34, $2,087,519 (signed through 2024-25)
Taj Gibson*, F, 39, $2,087,519 (signed through 2024-25)
Leaky Black, F, 25, $584,388 (two-way contract; signed through 2024-25)
KJ Simpson Jr.*, G, 22, TBA (two-way contract; signed through 2024-25)
Other 2023-24 Hornets Players
Davis Bertans, F, 32 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
Marques Bolden, C, 26 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
Bryce McGowens, G, 22 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
Aleksej Pokusevski, F, 23 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
Ish Smith, G, 36 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
JT Thor, F, 22 (waived by Hornets; unrestricted free agent)
^—retained 2024 free agent
*—2024 offseason acquisition
NOTE: Age = at conclusion of 2024 calendar year.
