Charlotte Hornets

Who are the Charlotte Hornets free agents in 2026-27?

Season2026-272027-28 2028-29 2029-30 2030-31

The Hornets have 6 free agents carrying cap holds for 2026-27, led by Coby White, Malaki Branham, Xavier Tillman.

Coby White (Bird 190%)

$24.5M

Malaki Branham (Bird 300%)

$14.9M

Xavier Tillman (Early Bird (130%))

$3.3M

Tosan Evbuomwan (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Antonio Reeves (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

PJ Hall (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Total holds

$49.2M

Each unsigned free agent occupies a cap hold sized by his Bird bracket (a percentage of his previous salary), totalling $49.2M on the Hornets' books. Holds count against the cap only, never the tax or aprons.

Each hold stays until the player re-signs, signs elsewhere, or is renounced. Renouncing clears the hold instantly but surrenders the Bird rights to re-sign him over the cap.

The rule behind this

A cap hold is a placeholder amount charged to a team's cap for each of its own free agents, sized as a percentage of his previous salary (his Bird bracket). It exists to stop a loophole: without holds, a team could spend all its cap space on outsiders and then still re-sign its own stars with Bird rights.

What is the cap hold? →What are Bird rights? →What does renouncing a free agent mean? →