Hornets trade machine
Hornets trades here are checked against the modeled 2023 CBA rules — salary matching, apron limits, hard caps, and pick rules — starting from the current 2026 offseason data, not a blank slate. That includes the part most trade machines miss: the Hornets are already hard-capped at $209.0M for the season (Dorian Finney-Smith NT-MLE).
What the Hornets can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Hornets salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Hornets use the mid-level exception?
Yes — $0.8M of the non-taxpayer MLE fits under their ceiling (hard-capped by Dorian Finney-Smith NT-MLE).
Can the Hornets aggregate salaries in a trade?
Yes — they're below the second apron, so they can combine outgoing contracts to match a bigger incoming salary.
Are the Hornets hard-capped?
Yes — at the first apron ($209.0M) for the rest of the season, triggered by Dorian Finney-Smith NT-MLE. Later moves are checked against that line.
Can the Hornets trade a first-round pick?
Yes — they control their own future firsts plus 8 incoming, subject to the Stepien rule's ban on trading firsts in consecutive future drafts.