Charlotte Hornets

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

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

This includes a projected signing that is not yet official, so these figures are an estimate.

Malaki Branham (Bird 300%)

$14.9M

Xavier Tillman (Early Bird (130%))

$3.3M

Antonio Reeves (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

PJ Hall (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Michael Ajayi (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Kylan Boswell (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Total holds

$26.9M

Each unsigned free agent occupies a cap hold sized by his Bird bracket (a percentage of his previous salary), totalling $26.9M 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 the league parks on a team's cap for each of its own free agents. It isn't money paid to anyone, it's a reserved spot, sized as a percentage of the player's previous salary (his Bird bracket).

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