Hornets expected to waive Ryan Nembhard after Hawks trade

The Hornets are expected to waive guard Ryan Nembhard after acquiring him from the Hawks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

Charlotte completed the trade Tuesday night, sending Dorian Finney-Smith to Atlanta for Nembhard, Buddy Hield and cash.

Nembhard’s inclusion helped Atlanta turn a two-for-one trade into a needed reduction of its crowded roster. For Charlotte, he appears to have been more of a transactional piece than a player in its plans.

The Hornets now have 18 players on standard contracts and must reduce that number to 15 before opening night. Seventeen of those contracts are guaranteed.

Nembhard is owed $2.15 million on an expiring deal, making him one of the less expensive players to release. Charlotte also already has Dennis Schröder and rookie Christian Anderson Jr. behind projected starting point guard Coby White.

The expected waiver should not leave Nembhard without options. Multiple teams are expected to consider offering him a two-way contract, with the Nuggets among those showing interest, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. He would be eligible to sign with any team except Atlanta.

Nembhard, who went undrafted in 2025, averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 60 games for the Mavericks last season. He made 27 starts and shot 35.6 percent from beyond the arc after earning a promotion from a two-way contract.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report also speculated that Charlotte could waive Hield. That would be considerably more expensive, however, given his guaranteed $9.66 million salary and partial guarantee for next season.