The Charlotte Hornets have a plethora of players who are not under contract beyond the upcoming 2025-26 season. Mason Plumlee, Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Pat Connaughton, and KJ Simpson (two-way), according to Spotrac, expire this season. Not all of them can feasibly be traded, but several of them certainly will be.
1. Mason Plumlee
There's virtually no pathway for Mason Plumlee to finish 2025-26 on the Hornets. By the time the deadline rolls around, it will probably be very clear that the future is either Moussa Diabate or Ryan Kalkbrenner (or maybe both) at center. By then, Plumlee's mentor role will be over with for the most part, and center depth is something most teams like to look for at the deadline.